The Father of Her Magic
by Draco Malfoy is Blonde
Summary: Draco Malfoy has slithered his way back into Harry's life. They were friends, once, parents of a miracle child; Harry helped Draco with his marriage problems; Astoria helped Harry raise Teddy. Harry wished he could be in Astoria's shoes, and Draco wanted that too. But guilt drove them apart, and fear kept them distant, but Harry and Draco could never ignore each other for long.
1. A Complicated Surprise

"Ginny," Harry took a steadying breath. He was twenty two, she was twenty one and they had been married for two and a half years now. Ginny had just walked into the kitchen in their too small apartment and her head snapped up when he called her name.

"It's not working, our marriage." Harry deadpanned. He had spent weeks unhappy at home and weeks thinking about why, worrying about why and then he realized; Harry just wasn't _happy_ anymore.

"I'm pregnant." Ginny whispered, her eyes were wide and her skin was pale. Harry's head snapped up, in that moment he forgot all about his unhappiness and smiled brightly at her, eyes wide.

"We can work on it," he rushed forwards and swept her up in his arms. It was the most affection they had shared naturally for months - apart from their occasional sexual activities. Ginny was shaking her head and pushed him away.

"I'm not keeping it," she said, "Harry I was going to ask for a divorce, then I found out and stalled, I'm not happy with you." Ginny shoved him, hard and stormed around the table, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"You are always at work, Harry, we don't have sex unless you're tipsy, you never talk to me, hell, you hardly look at me. Then you go and get me pregnant!?" She was so angry she shook and Harry just shook his head.

All their arguments were like this. He was quiet and she yelled. Sure enough she shoved the kitchen chairs to the ground and swept a pile of clean plates onto the floor where they splintered and spread over the kitchen floor. Then she stormed out. Screaming.  
Harry sighed and slumped his shoulders. He walked up the narrow hall and into Teddy's room.

The little boy was sitting up in bed clinging to his white stuffed dragon which he had named 'Draco' after Draco Malfoy himself, viciously questioning Harry about the man after a short conversation they had in the new ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley.

"Hey Teddy," Harry smiled softly at the little boy and he looked at Harry with his big green eyes.

"Ginny left again didn't she?" He asked quietly Harry nodded.

"Why?" Teddy asked, "She loves us."

"Yeah," Harry told him, "she loves you. And she loves me but she just doesn't love me enough."

For once Teddy left the questions unasked and went back to sleep with a little yawn. Harry went into his and Ginny's room, over to the desk cramped in a corner and pulled out a sheet of parchment and a quill.

_Ginny_, he wrote with the eternally messy chicken scratch that hadn't improved since school

_I do love you, and I will always love you but I do agree a divorce will be best, but please don't terminate your pregnancy. I'm willing to accept full custody of our child. You may visit at your own convenience and I know how large a request it is, for you to carry and birth the child but I…__  
_  
Harry paused in his writing. Not sure of the words to finish the sentence.

_I've always wanted a family, and I will cherish him or her if you will let me.__  
I know this is the end and I've moved back to Grimmauld Place with Teddy, and I will always be a friend to you should you need it.__  
_  
Harry signed his name and whistled for their owl. The animal swooped in and landed in front of him, he tied the letter to the leg of the bird and carried it to the window, then he walked back to their bedroom with slumped shoulders to pack his things.

The marriage was always bound to fail. The amount of times Ginny had referred to the silly hero-worship crush she had in school or casually told Harry the fairy tales her mother told her before bed - ones that were about him. It was creepy.  
But it was just down to the point where he wasn't happy with her and that was that.

But he would love a child, it would make him the happiest man alive.

He poked his head into Teddy's room and waved his wand and the room stripped itself of all the six year old's things. The spell threw them messily into a trunk. Harry gently picked up Teddy after shrinking the bags and stuffing them in the deep pocket of his robes. He stirred when Harry scooped him up, but didn't wake and Harry headed towards their fireplace.

Grimmauld place was clean, at least; Harry had lived here since after the war. Hermione had gone back to Hogwarts but Harry hadn't, he and Ron went straight to their Auror training. In the end Ron never finished the course, choosing instead to work in the shop with George. He had managed to become George's source of amusement, the older brother encouraging children to fire various joke items at Ron while he worked the till and re-stocked the shelves.

Harry loved his work, at first Ginny had loved him being an Auror too but the long hours meant he had less time for her really. She loved going to dinner and shopping in Diagon Alley and even took him to muggle pictures and café's; Harry had hated that, anything Muggle now just reminded him of the Dursleys and Harry was left with the phantom taste of blood in his mouth.

But ultimately he was uncomfortable in public with Gin. She would stop and smile for the cameras and talk to the reporters even after Harry asked her to ignore them. The majority of things she said were twisted around and the prophet made her out to be a trophy wife.

Harry sighed as he set Teddy down in Regulus's old room – it was re-painted and was Teddy's room entirely now, Sirius's room remained the same but Harry liked it that way. Perhaps not the women in next to no clothing on the walls but he had never gotten around to painting over them.

That was how he had managed to make Walburga co-operate. They had a very strained truce. She was not to spill her verbal filth – ever - and he would _restore_ the house in favor of redecoration. When her sneaky whispers continued he'd brought out a can of bright red muggle paint – that shut her up, it now stayed on a hall table he brought specifically for the purpose of making sure she could always see the can.

Harry sighed and thought how nice it was to be home – another reason his marriage was so strained. Ginny hated Grimmauld Place – she had tried to make him sell it but he refused. It reminded him of Sirius, and Ron and Hermione and Dumbledore and even Snape and the rest of the Order, and that made him smile more than Ginny would be able to.

Harry groaned a bit as he climbed into the bed and smiled when his head hit the pillow.

His thoughts wandered again to his pending divorce. He should have never married her. The long camping trip had changed him a bit, especially after Ron left and he was left alone with Hermione.

She had insisted on being very close after they danced together that one night – it was one of his most favorite memories – and he was worried about many things, like she might try to fill the hole Ron left and Harry felt like he was falling for her, hard.

She was such a wonderful person who wouldn't love her? He managed to shake the feeling over time so it was gone before Ron returned.

A bell rang through the house and Harry sat up, startled. His Holly wand was gripped in a death grip in his hand and he half rolled to his feet.

Teddy wailed from the next room and a second later he was flinging the door of Harry's own room open and leaping into Harry's arms.

"It's okay Teddy," Harry slid his legs off the bed and stuffed his wand into the waistband of his boxers and hefted Teddy onto his hip.

"You're really too big for this," Harry said, leaving the room hurriedly to see who had flooed at this time of night.

"Harry, I'm so sorry!" Hermione ran to him in the hallway, tears in her eyes but smiling at Teddy's exclamation of 'Aunt Hermione!'

Teddy wriggled out of Harry's arms and hugged Hermione. Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her to the couch.

"Off to bed Teddy, please." Harry told the boy, he pouted but yawned widely.

"Okay." Teddy went to leave but Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him in for a hug.

"I love you Harry!" Teddy said with a laugh – a tired laugh.

"I love you too Teddy." Harry smiled at his godson who had changed his face to look exactly like Harry.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Harry asked her. She sniffled and smiled at him sadly.

"Ginny came straight to our house yelling and screaming and the like. How she hated you and how you ruined her life, then when your owl came she calmed down for a whole thirty seconds before going into hysterics. She eventually fell asleep and I rolled my eyes at her – throwing a tantrum like that, after," Hermione took a deep breath and smiled through it. "You know, after everything," she finished much calmer referring to Harry's failed marriage.

"Well Ron," Hermione started, she gladly accepted Harry's handkerchief and cleaned herself up as she spoke. "Didn't he go off?" She asked him rhetorically. "Started on about how angry he was that you'd leave her and how you want to steal her baby away and how you used her to get children. I told him you have Teddy and love him like your own, she was just being unreasonable."

"Thank's for defending me Hermione," Harry said quietly, "I didn't mean to cause problems-"

"Harry James Potter don't you dare play the hero." Hermione said narrowing her eyes. "Ron's being unreasonable, I'll just ask you for a place to crash tonight to avoid them in the morning." Hermione smiled. "I hope to not insult you by saying but you were never fully committed to Ginny after Voldemort."

"I know," Harry replied – he was committed physically, he would never cheat, but just not emotionally. "I changed, she didn't." he said matter-of-fact. Hermione calmly nodded her agreement.

"She never grew up, still hasn't," Hermione added for him. "Even after her sixth year."

Harry exhaled; "Exactly. I think Neville sheltered as many of them as he could."

"She complained about the sex too." Hermione said abruptly.

Harry nodded.

"I'm not attracted to her, she's pretty but-"

"Are you gay?" Hermione asked quite bluntly. Leaning forwards. Harry was shocked by the question but only for a minute.

"I don't think so," Harry said honestly. "I mean, I've never really had crushes – maybe Cho, I've more been fascinated with people, Luna, Cedric, Ginny, Neville, hell even Malfoy. I'd never call it actual attraction though, I need to love someone before I can call them beautiful."

Hermione gave him such a wonder-filled sincere smile he blushed.

"Looks really don't matter to you?" she asked. He nodded.

"Exactly."

"Damn," Hermione muttered, "First time I've been wrong."

"You thought I was gay?" Harry asked shocked. She shrugged.

"So you just don't like _Ginny_ anymore." Hermione said with a trace of amusement in her voice. "I'm a little relieved; she was ruining our group dynamic."

Harry burst out laughing at that.

"Not the _golden trio!_" He said mocking the little name Ginny referred to them as Hermione laughed along with him. Then her face fell.

"You know I think she was seeing someone," Hermione said, Harry shook his head.

"She wouldn't do that-"

"Harry," Hermione pressed, "I don't know if it was serious but I-"

"I don't want to think about it then, its her business now. Come on then," He said stony. "It's almost four." Harry pulled Hermione up by the hand and dragged his feet up the thin staircase. He cracked open one of seven bedrooms and beckoned Hermione inside. With a wave of his wand the lamps were lit and linens were floating onto the double bed.

"I'm shot," Harry said with a yawn. "I'll see you in the morning Hermione, thanks again." She smiled at him and yawned out a goodnight, touching his arm before flopping into bed, fully clothed. Harry sighed and went back into the room.

He gently slipped her shoes off and she smiled at him.

"Thanks mum." She laughed, Harry could see the strain in her eyelids to keep them open.

"Goodnight Harry," She whispered.

"Night Hermione." He carefully shut the door and hastily made it up the stairs to his room where he flopped onto bed and barely had enough energy to crawl up to the pillows and put his head on them.

* * *

_It's my birthday today! Here's a story, give me reviews plz._


	2. A Dragon Named Draco

Harry was up first at ten o'clock the next morning. He went down to see Kreature first. The old elf was in his cupboard with all of the Black family heirlooms he could fit in the already enlarged space.

"Master Harry!" The elf croaked kindly. Harry smiled at him.

"Hullo Kreature, would you be able to do breakfast today? You've done a very good job keeping everything tidy while I was away and I'm back for a little while now so you may take the dust covers off of the furniture in the sitting room."

Kreature bowed to him, Regulus's locket still firmly around his neck.

It wasn't until twelve that Hermione came into the kitchen, she was already showered and changed and she gratefully dug into the plate of breakfast waiting for her. They stayed in the kitchen talking until Teddy came down around one thirty. He was rubbing his eyes and had Draco the Dragon clutched by its left wing in his free hand.

"Have something to eat Teddy," Hermione said to the boy pulling out the seat for him. He thanked her quietly and picked up his utensils to eat his very late breakfast.

"Do you think Ginny will come by today?" Hermione asked, and Harry nodded to her.

"Definitely," He yawned. "Did she tell you she was pregnant?" Harry asked her, Hermione nodded.

"I don't know if she'll keep it though Harry." She warned.

"I'll ultimately let her make the last choice." Harry said, "She knows what I want and it's her body."

"But it's-"

Harry held a hand up to silence her. An understanding look swept across her face and she let the issue drop.

"Teddy do you want to do some schoolwork with me today?" Harry asked. Teddy's eyes lit up and he nodded happily. "Alright at four o'clock meet me in the study." Harry told him. The little boy nodded.

"Go get ready for your bath, I'll be up to run it in a sec."

Hermione was clearing the empty breakfast plates and smiling as Teddy ran up the stairs.

"He asked about his parents again the other day." Harry said to her, "and Andy." Hermione nearly dropped the little pile of plates.

"Wow," She said, "How'd it go?" She asked. He nodded.

"He took it pretty well. From what I remember he dealt with it better than I did when I was told about my parents."

"We'll I can't imagine the Dursleys were nice about it."

"No," Harry said. "But he was sad, he didn't mourn them, but I suppose you can't mourn someone you never knew."

"And you've filled that void wonderfully Harry."

"Andy was a bit different." Harry said, Hermione's expression turned stony.

"Well yeah," Hermione said, "I bet he had a lot of questions?"

Harry laughed, as he grabbed the cloth from the sink and wiped down the table. Hermione had cleaned the plates and was stacking them in the cupboard.

"I didn't know what to teach him, how to make him deal with it and how to help him understand the information."

"You can't understand it." Hermione said softly, "That's why I get so angry, that's why everyone has such a violent reaction to it."

Harry nodded.

"HAAAARRYYYYYY I'M COLD!"

Harry and Hermione's head snapped up at Teddy's yelling and Harry darted up the stairs to run the boy a bath.

It was not until four thirty that Ginny showed up, She looked unimpressed at Hermione when she answered the door and the two went through the thin hall to the library and study in the back of the house on the first floor where Teddy was enthusiastically practicing his letters with one of Harry's quills.

Hermione took over the job of tutor without question while Harry led the peeved looking Ginny into the kitchen.

"Tea?" He asked, she nodded stiffly and sat down. He quickly made tea for them both, and a third for Hermione putting it under a _statis_ charm – the only use he had for his knowledge of potions – and brought Ginny her tea.

"I'm going to keep it," She said, "but it's yours; I don't want a baby, Harry."

Harry nodded to her seriously.

"You're always welcome to-"

"I don't even want it knowing I'm its mother." She said harshly. Her tea was untouched.

"I don't want to spend my whole life tied to you – it wasn't what I thought it would be and I'd just rather forget the whole thing happened. After another seven months we won't be seeing each other again. Well any more than before we were even dating."

Harry nodded to her seriously.

"Thank you Ginny," He said very sincerely to her, "That you will carry the baby for me, I'm truly grateful."

She didn't even have the courtesy to smile at him but he offered his own anyway as she stood.

"I can show myself out." She announced and left the room. Harry sighed and picked up his and Hermione's teacup carrying them into the study.

"She's angry," Teddy told Harry when he walked in. "Is it because we left the other house. I didn't like that house."

Harry shook his head, "No Teddy, Ginny and I decided we would be happier if we didn't live together anymore. Are you alright with that?"

Teddy thought about it for a moment – he pulled the same face when he was told about Nanna Andy and his parents – until he finally nodded.

"I didn't really like Ginny," Teddy said shyly, "She got angry real easy."

Harry nodded to his godson and crushed him to his side in a one armed hug. Teddy's hair flashed green before he made it black again.

"You're getting very good at that Ted, maybe we can send you to a muggle school next year?" Harry told him. The little boy smiled brightly at him.

"I'd love that Harry," He said then turned his bright eyes to Hermione.

"Aunt Hermione, I might be able to go to proper school!" Hermione laughed and smiled at the little boy indulgently before coaxing him back into his work.

"Have you spoken to Ron?" Harry asked her as He came down the stairs after tucking Teddy into bed. She was just leaving her room and paused to answer him.

"Not yet, It's alright, it will work out for us, I'm just not going to let him act on anger so much – you know what I mean." Hermione had a large book in her arms and nodded toward the door to the sitting room. They climbed down the stairs into the large area. Harry sat across from her.

"I know exactly what you mean, Ginny's just as bad and Ron's always been like that."

Hermione nodded. "If we're going to start a family I want to know he can control himself – impressionable children and all." Harry nodded his understanding.

"We'll I'll leave you to your book then." He said standing and stretching, she smiled at him and wished him goodnight and he returned the gesture and headed upstairs.

Once alone he let his mind wander again and all he could think of was how he would be having another child soon!

Teddy woke him the next morning by climbing into bed next to Harry and kissing his cheek. Harry subtly wiped the drool from his face and smiled at his godson.

"I don't understand why Ginny left." Teddy said sleepily. Harry hugged the boy and his plush dragon to his side.

"You remember when I told you about your mummy and daddy?" Harry asked the boy, Teddy nodded.

"Well you know how I told you they didn't want to leave you, but they wanted to be apart of making you happy as you grew up?"

Teddy nodded again.

"Well they went away for each other too." Harry told him. "Remus – your Dad," Harry reminded the boy, "Loved your mother so much he would die to protect her, and your mother loved your father just as much she would die for him, and they both loved you enough that they would give their life to make yours as wonderful as it could be."

Teddy was frowning.

"Why didn't one of them stay safe? They didn't both have to die." Harry rubbed the little boys back.

"Neither of them had to die, neither of them should've died but there was a very bad man making everyone unhappy." Harry told the boy.

"Lord Volfemort?" Teddy remembered.

"Yeah, Voldemort," Harry corrected him. "and he was pretty scary, and your mum and dad were stronger together."

"But they both died."

"But they were together and happy when they died, Teddy." Harry racked his brain for a way to bring the conversation away from such confusing notions.

"And they died to make the whole world better for you, and they made sure they had people to look after you if they did die. Just like my parents." Harry said to him.

"Lily and James?" Teddy asked.

"Yeah, Lily and James died to make the world better for me, and you too. And that's love Teddy," Harry hugged the boy tightly.

"Its about wanting to make someone happy, all the time and they want to make you happy all the time." Harry smiled, "That's why I always try to make you happy, and Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron and Nanna Molly. They all love you and always want you to be happy."

"You and Ginny weren't happy?" Teddy asked then, Harry nodded.

"Ginny is a very good friend of mine, but I don't want to be in charge of always making her happy, because she doesn't make me happy, and she feels the same. Not like how I spend all my time with you." Harry kissed the boys forehead and Teddy sloppily returned the gesture.

"Lets find Aunt Hermione and get some breakfast." Harry rolled out of bed and swung Teddy off the bed with him. The black haired boy smiled and giggled as he landed on the floor.

"I love you too, Harry."

Hermione was reading the front Page of the _Daily Prophet _when they came into the kitchen. Harry smiled and Teddy ran to say good-morning. Hermione gasped in surprise and hastily folded the paper, her eyes darting to Harry.

"What?" Harry asked her looking at the paper with distrust. Hermione sighed and handed it to him.

He flipped it open to the first page and his eyes widened.

"Harry Potter Uses Women for Children?" Harry read allowed. "That doesn't even make sense!"

"Ginny's gone to the press, complaining about not being given a choice and how you're ruining her career." Harry tossed the paper in the fire and shook his head. Calming himself down.

"I can't even be bothered to set them straight this time."

He gave Hermione a puzzled look at the look she was giving him.

"That's the kind of calm Ron needs to learn." She said, "A few years ago and you would have worked yourself up into an angry rage." Harry just nodded at her.

They both looked up when there was a sharp knock on the door, Harry turned from the table and walked up the hall.

"Morning Walburga," He said when he knew the painting could hear him. "Lovely day for some painting, don't you think?"

Her whispered mutterings stopped straight away and she gave him the most fake smile he had ever seen.

"Morning Mr. Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes at the woman and continued to the front door.

He opened the heavy green door and smiled at the man on the other side.

"Ron," Harry greeted stepping aside to let him in.

"Hullo Harry," Ron said. "I suppose Hermione told you about my tantrum?"

Harry just nodded.

"I'm not completely over it," He said, "Just so you know but I want my wife back."

"I understand Ron," Harry said a bit ticked at him in turn, "I wont make you pick between me and your sister."

Ron nodded stiffly and walked straight into the kitchen. Harry followed him closely.

"His name is _Draco_!" Harry heard Teddy say to Hermione with unfailing conviction. "After the pretty man Harry saw in Mr. Zabini's ice cream shop."

"That's nice Teddy, could I have a minute with Uncle Ron?" Teddy swung himself off her lap and ran up to Harry as Hermione stood to face Ron.

"You're still angry," She told him, he nodded. "She's my sister-"

Ron stopped at the death glare his wife gave him.

"I miss you," he finished lamely.

Harry quietly backed out of the room with Teddy and went to the tiny sitting room on the second floor. The door was seamless with the wall and he had discovered it by accident but it was such a lovely little room.

"Harry, Harry, do you remember when I met Draco?"

Harry held his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"Teddy, Mr. Malfoy isn't your dragon," Harry tried to explain to the boy for the hundredth thousandth time.

Teddy's reply was shoving the white plushy in his face. It was made of terry cloth and had a triangular spiked head and a long neck, a fat belly and little arms and legs, the tail was as long as the body (the whole dragon was about two feet in length) and was woven with spells to make sure the tail wouldn't choke the child. It had two wings made of the same pure white fluffy fabric and they were more like blankets with no shape other than a tendency to fold and sit like wings when Teddy didn't want them to be a blanket. It also acted like a muggle baby monitor; Harry could hear Teddy's cries or shouts through its ears.

"We went to Mr. Zabini's ice cream shop, and you were waiting in front of Draco and he and you were talking and then he brought us ice cream and remember his lady friend came up with that little baby?" Teddy asked him, Harry nodded.

"Yes I remember-"

"Shhhhhh," Teddy shushed him angrily. "Draco played with me while he waited in line and his hair was white and fluffy and soft and his name is a really dragony name."

Harry shook his head.

"And you told me he saved your life!" Teddy said accusingly, "Draco my dragon saves me from scary dreams all the time. Harry, if Draco saved your life does that mean he loves you?"

"No he was doing the right thing," Harry explained, looking at the white dragon in defeat. Teddy would never change its name.

* * *

_Thank you to those people who have set favorites and alerts on this, please take the time and give me a review for my work, it would mean a lot._

_Anyway happy reading. _

_-D._


	3. Little Miss Malfoy

_Reviews are apreciated, and this is 2 days early. _

_Otherwise, enjoy. _

_-D_

**Seven Months Later**

"Oh my," Harry stood next to a now very pregnant Ginny as the medi-witch gave her a check-up.

"Oh my? Oh MY?" Ginny batted the woman's hand away from her swollen stomach. "Oh freaking my. That's bloody brilliant isn't it, what useful information you useless bint!" Harry held his ex-wife's arm and sat her down.

"Calm down Ginny," He said harshly, "Sorry Madame, you were saying?"

"Oh." The healer stepped back again white faced and a little shaken from Ginny's outburst. "I've just never seen this before. It might not be a bad thing but I'll need one of the head Medi-wizards."

She almost ran from Ginny to get a more experienced healer.

"Useless bint." Ginny spat. Harry agreed with her to avoid another tantrum.

It was five minutes later when the Medi-witches returned. Their usual healer was a young woman with blonde hair and a very pinched face, the woman she brought with her was a larger woman with deep black hair and a stern face.

"Miss Weasley," She addressed Ginny first, "I understand this is a trying time for you but you need to refrain from insulting my Healers."

Ginny crossed her arms and ignored the woman who was waving her wand over the swollen stomach.

"I've never seen this before, but I've heard of it happening one other time this century," The woman began, Harry showed he was listening but Ginny stubbornly faced the wall. "Your baby is very weak – her magical core is non-existent." Harry frowned.

"A squib?" He asked.

"A muggle," The woman said, "Unfortunately witches cannot birth muggles safely. Now what my spells are registering is another magical core trying to reach out and save this child – what's really happening is that there is only one child between four parents."

Ginny's head snapped around at that.

"It happens when a comparatively weak witch has the child of a strong wizard or visa versa. The two witches involved don't have sufficient magic, or too much magic to carry the child. There is another couple out there with the 'other half' of your child."

"Who?" Ginny snapped immediately.

"We have no way of telling until the birth," She said, "Unfortunately for you or the other parents involved one of the children will be stillborn, the other will take on the traits of the stronger of the two parents. We'll try to find the other part of the pregnancy but there's no guarantee they'll even be in Britain. Miss Weasley, you'll need to stay here until the birth."

Ginny wobbled up off the bed and shoved the healer.

"No, how dare you say this baby will die and isn't mine!" Ginny shoved the woman again; Harry darted forward and grabbed her arms.

"It's my baby, mine and I want all of it to be mine!" Ginny was nearing hysterics.

"I HATE YOU!" She turned and screamed at Harry, beating on his chest.

"You freak!" She screamed, "You can't even have a baby right!"

Harry stepped back and glared at her.

"How do we find the other couple?" Harry asked the Medi-witch, ignoring Ginny and the deep scar her words had reopened.

_Freak_

The healer smiled. "It's the best course of action, I'll call in each couple that are nearing their due date separately and we can do some tests. I think there are five-" the healer turned to the younger woman who nodded. "Start immediately, it could happen any day now."

Ginny refused to meet the other couples so it was Harry and the mediwitch who met with them each day that week.

"Harry?" Harry smiled when Seamus Finnegan walked into the room. Seamus looked at his wife with a question burning in his eyes.

"Did you sleep with Harry?"

Harry was shocked but the woman just laughed.

"He's pretty handsome, but so out of my league."

Seamus laughed and pulled her close. "This is my Fiona, Harry, my wife," Harry shook the woman's hand before the healer interrupted them.

"Mr. and Mrs Finnegan," The healer began.

After the explanations had been made and some basic tests were done Harry was required to donate some blood for the final test. He took the small knife and cut his hand, rubbing it over Fiona's stomach.

"Nope," The healer said and all three adults visibly relaxed.

"Good luck mate," Seamus said as they left, "We'll catch up soon yeah?"

Harry nodded and thanked them both as they left.

"Who's next?" Harry asked the woman.

"Mr. and Mrs Zabini." She said quickly. The door swung open and Harry smiled at the couple.

"Potter," Blaise said kindly, Pansy glared daggers at him. "How's Teddy?"

Harry smiled at the man, Teddy was so taken with the French/Italian wizard who makes the best ice-cream ever.

"He's good, thanks."

Pansy kept glaring, a hand on her stomach.

"Come on then Potter, do it."

The medi-wizard did the usual 'routine' check-up spells before allowing Harry to reopen the cut on his hand.

"Another no," The witch told them.

"Oh thank god," Pansy said with such desperate relief.

"I'm sorry Potter, my aunt was the other case of this kind of pregnancy, she was the one who lost their baby and the other parents wouldn't let her near him-"

"calm down Pans," Blaise hugged her to him and she broke down in tears.

"I understand, Pansy, Blaise." Harry nodded to the man as he led his wife from the room.

Not a half a minute from when the Zabinis left was there a huge bang on the door.

"Harry!" Harry let Hermione in immediately. The woman was out of breath and cluching her side.

"Ginny," She panted, "Labour," She took another gulp of air but Harry was already running to his ex wife's room.

"Macintosh, Paula, Sedbe!" The healer followed Harry from the room shouting instructions to any healer in her way.

Ginny was in a room by herself and was screaming profanities when Harry entered.

"Please Miss Weasley," There was a male healer standing over her with a potion and she hit it away at every chance.

Harry rolled his eyes at the same time the healer did.

"Miss Weasley this will stop the pain-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Ginny screamed at him.

Harry crossed the room in two strides and held down her arms.

"POTTER GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF ME!"

"Give it to her," Harry told the healer as Ginny's nails sunk into his thigh.

The healer shoved the vial in her mouth forcing her to swallow it. Not two seconds later she stopped her screaming.

"It feels weird," She said tiredly.

"Yes, Miss Weasley, the potion I have you allows for a painless delivery-"

"Why didn't I get it sooner?"

Harry rolled his eyes at the girl.

There was a loud bang as a second bed was rolled into the room. A blonde woman was sitting up looking terrified.

"Mrs Malfoy?" Harry asked the woman. She smiled and nodded.

"Mrs Malfoy?" The male healer in the room gave her the same potion given to Ginny and she took it gratefully.

"Oh Ginny!" Harry smiled as Mrs Weasley came into the room, she stopped and kissed his cheek briefly and went to her daughter. Harry went to Astoria.

"Can you do the test?" Astoria said, Harry looked at the cut on his hand.

"Yes," Astoria said, "That one, please Harry?"

Harry didn't have the knife so he used his wand to reopen the cut, letting the blood drip onto the woman's stomach. It hit the stomach and faded into the skin.

"It's yours too," Astoria said, "just like your little girl is mine as well."

Astoria smiled at Harry and he smiled back at her.

"Can you tell Draco for me please? He's with Scorpius in the waiting room?" Harry nodded and left the room.

Draco Malfoy was paler than usual, his long hair tied back. He was a tall man, taller than most people and he sat with his two year old son on his knee.

"Potter!" Malofy said standing, "How is she, did you do-"

"She's quite calm, I did," Harry said nodding,

"They're ours?" Draco asked, Harry nodded.

"Ginny's with her mother," Harry said, "I'll watch Scorpius for you if you like?"

Draco looked at the little boy and kissed his nose.

"Scorpius, this is Mr. Potter, be a good boy for him?" Scorpius smiled at his father and Draco handed the boy to Harry. Scorpius was instantly taken with Harry's messy hair.

Draco turned back to look at Harry who was wincing as his son tugged on his hair.

"Thanks Potter."

Harry was only waiting 10 hours before he got news.

The healer told him he could come in.

"Give her here!" Ginny was shouting as Harry entered the room with Scorpius on his hip.

"Harry, I'm sorry," Mrs Weasley said to him.

"Ginny's baby was the stillborn?" Harry asked and Molly nodded. She had tears in her eyes.

"I think the Malfoy's will not be selfish in this situation," Harry told Molly quietly. "Astoria seems very understanding at least."

"Give her here she's my daughter too!" Harry quietly ducked to Ginny's side.

"Get the bloody hell away from me," She snapped.

"Ginny language!" Molly snapped and Scorpius grimaced at the bad word.

"Ginny let them be-"

"Shut up Harry!"

Ginny made to stand but the healer pushed her back on the bed.

Harry looked at the Malfoy's Astoria was tired and looked worn holding the little bundle. Harry went to them.

"Draco," he whispered and handed Scorpius to him Draco smiled at him and Harry glanced at the little girl before returning to an angry Ginny.

Molly was stroking her hair and crying but Ginny just glared at the Malfoys.

"They _have_ to share!" She hissed angrily at no one in particular.

"No they don't Gin," Harry told her. "The baby _will_ have only two parents, one of us and one of them, but legally, its their daughter, ours is dead."

"Yours." Ginny said, "Your daughter is dead, I never wanted the damn thing anyway and now I'll just have to go through weeks of recovering from this pointless, stupid-"

"Ginny!" Molly said harshly, Harry subtly wiped his eyes and left the room, not saying a word to either family. He avoided the Weasleys in the waiting room and flooed straight to Teddy.

"How'd she go?" Seamus asked when Harry got there.

"The Malfoys were the other couple," Harry told him, "Ginny had a stillbirth."

"I'm sorry mate," Seamus said, "The Malfoys might let you see her." He said brightly, "Give them time, come on Teddy's been asking for you."

Harry smiled at the thought of his godson and followed Seamus into the other room.

"Are you alright Harry?" Fiona asked him when she saw him. He nodded.

"I was distant in her pregnancy from the start," he shrugged, "I think Molly will be hurt most in all of this. Hey Teddy!" Harry hugged his godson and let the boy give him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Harry flooed back to Grimmauld place, thanking Seamus and Fiona for watching Teddy for him and he flopped into a kitchen chair.

"How's Ginny?" Teddy asked, his head was in the pantry and he pulled out some cauldron cakes and gave one to Harry.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the little boy who tucked into his own as if he had asked for it. Harry let it go for now and sighed.

"Her baby didn't make it," He told Teddy who looked upset and confused. "Its alright," Harry told the boy, "And Ginny's fine, Nanna Molly's very upset but there's no use being too sad by it."

"Why didn't the baby live?" Teddy asked.

"Our baby was a very special baby, she died because…" Harry paused to think of how to best tell the six year old.

"A special purpose." He settled on, "even before she was born she was always supposed to be much bigger than just my daughter-" Harry paused again and was grateful when the floo rang.

He turned towards the fireplace in time to see Draco Malfoy leap elegantly from the grate.

"Mr. Potter, Teddy," Draco said in greeting.

"Teddy I'll finish telling you about the baby tonight, how about you go upstairs to play?"

"Alright," The little boy grumbled. "Come on Draco," He said with a yawn, Malfoy looked shocked but he smiled when he saw that Teddy was talking to the white dragon toy.

"Draco?" He asked with a smile on his face, Harry waved the question away.

"Another story for another time. How are they?" Harry asked.

"Good, Scorpius is in love with you by the way, doesn't shut up about you."

Harry smiled, "I impressed him huh?"

Draco nodded.

"He's spent the past four hours telling Astoria about Mr. Harry Potter and what a funny man he is."

Harry smiled fondly for the boy.

"He's a good kid Malfoy." Harry said, Draco nodded.

Draco sat down across from Harry and smiled.

"She- this is so weird, she's _our_ baby Potter."

Harry at first thought he meant to say Draco and Astoria but the look the man gave him had much more gravity to it.

"Ours?" Harry asked, Draco pointed between Harry and himself in confirmation.

"I don't mean to intrude but I'd like to be there, when she grows up." Harry said quietly.

"Yes, Astoria and I agree." Draco said, "But-"

Draco paused and his whole expression changed. Harry felt his own change to match – one of defence and anger.

"Neither of us wants Miss Weasley involved."

"Ginny-"

Harry stopped when Draco raised a hand.

"You can't defend the woman Potter she's a menace!"

Harry was torn between agreeing with him and high-fiving the man for good measure and defending his ex-wife.

"Fine," He said, "She was never interested in a child anyway."

Draco scowled.

"You and Teddy may visit at you're leisure," Draco said quietly, "Malfoy manor is open to you both."

Harry nodded.

"Draco," Harry said, grabbing the man's unfamiliar hand. "Thank you," Harry tried to pour as much sincerity as he could into the thanks and Draco seemed to understand, because he smiled brightly at Harry before he left.

"Teddy!" Harry called, walking up the stairs and poking his head in Teddy's room. The little boy was asleep on the big bed Draco clutched in his hands. Harry smiled at his little godson.


	4. Scorpius Stings

_For those of you who got to preview my time travel story, I'm quite sorry about that, chapter three has been replaced by the chapter three of this story and I hope I haven't confused any of my readers away, thank you for the reviewers who pointed out my mistake, at least I know people do enjoy this, you guys get so fiery when your story's not right. _

_Thank you for the kind reviews of chapter one and two as well. Here's the fourth chapter. I triple checked it this time. _

_Anyone who thought the wrong chapter three looked interesting, that story will come out once this is finished, so keep your eyes peeled. _

* * *

He left a few days between Draco inviting him and actually visiting the manor – enough time for the family to move back home and adjust to life with a new baby.

The first thing that struck him was how tired they both were and he laughed a little.

"I'm always willing to give you guys a hand if you need it," Harry said brightly, his cheerfulness annoying the Malfoys. "You're both exhausted."

"Stating the obvious Potter," Malfoy said icily.

"Now Draco," Astoria said, "We didn't know if you wanted to be apart of this or not," Astoria punctuated _this_ with a wide sweeping hand motion. The room he had flooed into was circular and quite small. The fireplace was easily large enough for Draco – tall as he is- his wife, son and a small hippogriff to stand in with ease and there was nothing more than three armchairs and a liquor cabinet. As well as a large portrait of a blonde man called Abraxas Malfoy.

"I was giving you both time to settle." Harry explained, "But please my floo is always open if you ever need it."

"Thank you Harry." Astoria said happily. "Come see her, her eyes are going silver like Draco's but her hair, oh Merlin wait till you see it!"

Astoria grabbed his arm and dragged him up the stairs into a nursery which was mostly pink, without being offensively pink.

The little girl was asleep, but Harry laughed when he saw her. Her hair was thick and black and standing up on end.

"That's my sister?" Teddy asked and Harry nodded.

"Yeah Ted it is."

"Her name is Sadie," Astoria said kindly, "Sadie Lillith Malfoy."

"Lillith?" Harry asked shocked.

"Yes," Astoria smiled at him, "It honours both your mother and Draco's paternal grandmother – Lillian – without being specific about which."

"Thank you Mrs Malfoy-"

"Its Astoria for you," The woman patted him on the arm and left him in the room.

It was hard to believe this was really his and Draco Malfoy's daughter.

"Why does she have to stay here?" Teddy asked.

"Because the baby Ginny and I were going to have died so this one could live – otherwise they would've both died, and Mr. and Mrs Malfoy had this baby, so even though she's my baby too she stays here."

"Because having a mummy _and_ daddy is better than having just a daddy?" Teddy asked.

"No, just because Mrs. Malfoy had this baby and she's married to Draco, its their baby Teddy but I'm allowed to be a daddy too because I lost my baby."

"Oh" Teddy said moodily." He struggled from Harry's arms and snatched Draco from his hand.

"I want to go home."

"Alright," Harry said, he went to scoop the boy up but he pulled away.

"I want to go home with _my_ mummy and daddy." Teddy glared at his godfather. They were both whispering so Sadie Malfoy slept on.

"If you get an extra baby incase yours dies why don't I get an extra Mummy and Daddy?"

"I'm your godfather, Ted," Harry told the little boy, "I am your extra mummy and daddy."

"You're not a very good extra are you? Scorpius has a mummy _and_ daddy."

"I'm not married anymore Teddy, one day I will be and I'll make sure I-"

"No," Teddy said, "Ginny was a horrible Mummy! I want a different daddy too; I want to stay here with Mr. and Mrs Malfoy!"

"Teddy," Harry said carefully. "Remus and Dora left you with me because they trusted me to love you and take care of you if they can't-"

"They shouldn't have died!" Teddy ran then.

"Dammit, Teddy come back!" Harry took off after the boy who was frantically changing the colours of his hair and skin to mach the walls making him nearly invisible. Harry ran as fast as he could but the little boy was impossibly fast.

"Dammit!" Harry cursed. Now he was lost in the manor too.

He walked to the end of the corridor calling for his godson, knocking on each door before cracking them open; aware Narcissa Malfoy was living here somewhere as well.

"Teddy!" Harry called, turning to a dead end in that wing and heading back the other way. He went up the next set of stairs he encountered and twisted and turned through a labyrinth of corridors.

"Mr. Potter," Harry jumped at haughty voice that called his name and drew his wand in a flash.

"Mrs Malfoy," Harry said seeing the elderly woman standing in the door of her rooms.

"Why are you wandering through my house?"

"I'm so sorry Mrs Malfoy," Harry took a step back. "I was here visiting the baby and my godson's ran off on me."

Narcissa smiled.

"Dear Teddy," She said, "It must be hard, being so young and needing to look after a child that's not even yours."

"It's hard because I wish his parents were here to do it instead," Harry said stonily. Narcissa gave him another haughty smile.

"But not for selfish reasons, of course." She said. Harry nodded.

"He stays with no-one else?" Narcissa asked, Harry shook his head.

"Not since Andromeda-"

"Killed herself?" Narcissa asked stonily. Harry nodded.

"Seamus Finnegan and Hermione babysit sometimes for me but I rarely ask-"

"Will you let him stay here tonight, Harry?" Harry was startled by the request and instantly his hackles rose but he took a calming breath.

"I wouldn't want to impose, and already Draco and Astoria are swamped-"

"I insist, Mr. Potter." Narcissa smiled at him, it was a tired smile of an old woman but the haughty mask melted along with her striking resemblance to Bellatrix - save the hair.

"Alright," Harry whispered, looking at his feet, then his eyes snapped up to hers. "I'll bring his things over straight away and If he wants to come home-"

"He will be fine, Mr. Potter," Narcissa was still smiling at him.

"Harry, please," Harry asked her and she smiled even brighter.

"Of course, Harry, a day away will be good for him," She said, "I can guarantee he would have not stayed every night of his life with his parents so far."

Harry nodded, knowing exactly what she was saying.

"I'll go and fetch his things," Harry whispered, leaving the room.

It was not difficult as he expected to find his way back, and Astoria was sitting in front of the fire waiting for him.

"Narcissa will take wonderful care of Teddy," She told him, "Shes a dream with Scorp."

Harry smiled at the woman. "You'll stay for diner tomorrow night when you come to get him," Astoria told him as he was leaving.

"I'd love to," Harry told her and left to get Teddy's things.

* * *

"Potter," Draco answered the door in the foyer at the manor that night; Harry had apparated to outside the gates instead of flooing. Despite the use of his surname Draco was smiling, and Harry offered his own smile back.

"Harry, please," Harry told him, Draco nodded. "I noticed you have a Rolls Royce in the driveway," Harry said, "Is it your's?"

"Yes, it was my fathers," Draco told him. "Quite an extraordinary thing really, among the pure bloods a few years ago owning flying muggle cars was the biggest trend, so he found the most prestigious one he could and brought it and charmed it- no idea how to drive the damn thing and because of his prejudice he never knew anyone who could drive it, nor would he trust a half-blood driver to drive it safely."

They were walking into the dining room and Harry was laughing at Draco's story. Harry's smile stuck on his face even after the laughter subsided.

"Never saw the point in having a car," He said, "and after leaving my relatives I don't much fancy anything muggle anyway."

Draco nodded.

"Its useful with the kids." He said, "I don't always trust myself to side along apparate them."

Harry nodded his understanding, they entered the empty dining room and Draco motioned for him to sit, Harry quite vividly remembered Ron splinching himself, as well as a number of cases where people had been splinched to death - it was beyond thought; that happening to a child, let alone doing that to a child.

"So you hired a driver then?" Harry asked, Draco nodded.

"A muggle born man - he never went to Hogwarts because of his parents but years later found his way back, essentially has a business that helps wizards with muggle things."

"Easy money," Harry said smiling. Draco nodded.

"Harry!" Astoria swept over and kissed his cheek, Sadie was in a woven basket portable bassinet thing, despite raising Teddy Harry still had no idea what such things were called. She was awake, looking around quietly, her eyes as silver as Draco's, her hair as black as Harry's. She looked quite long but light and her eyes were already bright and aware.

"Hello Astoria," Harry said happily, she placed the basket on the table and it weaved little feet to stand on and the handle melted away.

"Here," She picked up the little girl and placed her in Harry's arms.

"Hello Sadie," Harry whispered, it was so unreal that this little girl was his daughter even though the hair was screaming otherwise.

"Harry?" Harry smiled at his uncertain godson in greeting, he was standing at the door quietly Narcissa behind him as intimidating as ever.

"Hello there Teddy, did you have a nice night?"

"You left without me Harry." Teddy stated bluntly, a slight quiver in his voice.

"I thought you wanted to stay here," Harry said, he handed Sadie back to Astoria who placed her back in the basket. Draco was talking to a house elf.

"Come here," Harry knelt down and opened his arms. Teddy ran across the short space between them and launched himself into Harry's hug. Narcissa ducked down to pick up Draco the Dragon off of the floor.

"I'm sorry," Teddy said, "You're the best daddy ever."

"You're the best son ever Teddy," Harry hugged the boy tightly.

"I love you Harry," Teddy said.

"I love you too cub." Harry hugged his godson a little tighter.

"Come on Ted!" The pulled apart at Draco's mock angry voice. "It wasn't _that_ bad here?"

Teddy smiled and shook his head. "I had fun Uncle Draco," He said and smiled at Harry.

"That means he likes you." Harry said to Draco, "He only calls people he likes Aunt and Uncle."

"What about you?" Astoria asked.

"Harry's my dad, not my uncle!" Teddy told her matter-of-fact.

"Scorpius was asleep on the lounge," Narcissa finally said, neatly arranging Draco the Dragon on a chair before sitting down herself. "I'll let you wake him." She smiled at Draco who had a funny sort of look on his face. Teddy giggled a bit and Astoria sat down purposefully.

"He's your son too!" Draco told her, she smiled sweetly at the blonde man.

"I'm missing something," Harry stated.

The eyes of all the occupants in the room (except for Sadie who was dozing) snapped to him.

"First floor, third door on the left," Narcissa said to him.

Harry stood shakily shooting a mock glare at Teddy when he giggled.

He quickly made his way through the manor until he went through an archway into a sitting room where a little boy was sleeping on the lounge.

The lounge was black making Scorpius bright silver hair and impossibly pale skin almost shine. His little eyes were closed and he was sleeping on his tummy, his face squished into the lounge, his mouth open slightly to breathe.

"Scorpius," Harry said quietly, reaching out carefully to shake the little boys shoulder. As soon as his hand touched the shoulder he leapt back with a cry, he was winded, and flung back as if a fist of stone had just punched him in the stomach. He crashed into a table and the loud bang woke up the boy anyway.

"Harry!" Scorpius had rubbed the sleep from his eyes and was sitting on the lounge happily. "Did I accidental magic you too? I'm sorry."

Scorpius was at his side now patting his hair and babbling about how Daddy was hit in the boy-parts and Mummy was eaten by the floor and Aunt Pans was dragged away by her feet.

Harry smiled at the boy and shook his head, "I'm fine Scorp, accidents happen, come on dinners ready."

Scorpius jumped up happily and grabbed Harry's hand.


	5. Ignore the Hat

**Eight Years Later**

* * *

_SCORPIUS MALFOY IS AWAKE!_

_Since the unfortunate accident seven years ago that was a devastating loss to the Malfoy family we have been waiting with baited breath as now ten year old Scorpius Malfoy, who had remained in a sustained sleep after the accident involving himself, his mother, father, and sister._

_Finally the healers have managed to wake the boy fully and he will make a full recovery physically, but being asleep for so long will mean he has missed not only a large part of his childhood but also a large part of his development._

_Mr. Malfoy was unable to make a statement but we are assured that he has a number of professionals helping the boy to integrate back into a normal childhood._

_Young Scorpius has had healers doing everything they can to keep him alive and physically well while he was asleep - after suffering a severe head injury in the accident it is lucky he will make a full recovery - but from three to ten years old is a huge gap to miss and even with magic it will be a miracle if he makes a full mental and emotional recovery._

Harry had to stop reading. Seven years it has been. The Malfoy's had gotten into a severe car accident a few days after Scorpius turned three years old. Astoria was killed instantly and Scorpius... it was horrible, after that Malfoy refused to let Harry and Teddy come to see Sadie, Scorpius and Draco and Harry had pushed and pushed until Narcissa Malfoy died three years later from Dragon Pox and Malfoy shut down completely.

Harry scooped up the broken quills he was sorting from the nice ones and chucked them in the bin - repaired quills broke so easily so he just brought new ones.

He then stacked the unused parchment into his desk drawer and put the quills on top, shutting the drawer with a snap. There was a tap on the window, and Harry looked up.

"Hello 007," Harry said to the Owl, waving his hand to swing the window open, the owl hooted and flew to his desk, holding out its leg. Harry untied the letter and unfolded it.

_Hello Harry, Thelma here._

_Just writing to say hello from us both, and wanted you to come over for tea soon, maybe not this month but next, bring Teddy too would you? We have big news!_

_How is Hogwarts treating you this year? And how's Ted? I can't wait to see you again Harry, its been too long!_

_Lots of Love,_

_Thelma._

Harry smiled at the note from Thelma, sticking it in his pocket to answer later, wondering what their big news was. Harry checked his wand was up his sleeve and fixed the collar on his robe and left his little office, walking through the a joining classroom and into the hall.

Students would be arriving in an hour and he had all of the things ready for the new term.

"The trains ten away, Harry," Harry turned and smiled at Neville who ran into him in the hall.

"Early," Harry said, "Really early."

"Yeah," Neville smiled at his colleague, Harry fell into stride beside him. "It'll be forty five minutes early."

"Ready for the new Gryffindors?" Harry asked happily. Neville nodded, a huge smile on his face.

"Minerva's still not giving Lauressa a break though," Neville smiled when Harry laughed.

"First year Gryffindor-Slytherin Potions," Harry smiled at Neville as they entered the Great Hall. All the staff bar Thorburn - Filch's replacement and Hagrid were there, McGonagall trying to hold the attention of her staff members.

"Harry," McGonagall smiled at him and he humbly returned the gesture, "Would you do the sorting this year?" Harry beamed at her and nodded. She handed him the scroll and showed him where they stowed the stool and Hat before the first years came in.

"They're here!"

The gruff but young caretaker had stuck his head in the doors of the great hall and the staff members jumped up and got themselves ready. Not ten minutes later had the older years filing into the hall. Harry looked over the students sharply until he saw Teddy's black hair in the crowd. He caught his son's eye and smiled at the boy who gave him a bright smile back.

Once Teddy was sitting at the Gryffindor Table Harry went to the entrance hall to meet the first years, his invisibility cloak stuffed under his jumper.

Harry waited quietly under the cloak for the confused first years to calm a little and take in the entrance hall - to take in their first sight of the castle.

He almost laughed aloud when the ghosts swooped through the room, terrifying the children, and just as the Bloody Baron floated into the Great Hall through the wall Harry removed the invisibility cloak with a dramatic swoop.

The children's eyes went wide and a few of them jumped, they looked at his scar and whispered, the wizard born children impressed by Professor Harry Potter and the Muggle born impressed by him appearing out of thin air.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" Harry said happily, then he paused, he should have practiced his speech... But an idea struck him. "In a moment you will pass through these doors to be sorted, there are four Hogwarts houses; Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor.

While you are here, your house will be like your family, your triumphs will earn you points, any rule breaking and you will lose points. But even though the people in your house are like your family that is no reason to not befriend all the students from other houses. United we are strong."

Harry spun on his heel in a way that he knew his robes swirled - coupled with his friendly smile and Minerva's harsh words he thought he came across exactly as he meant to - he cracked the door open slightly and shut it behind him, giving them a moment while he did the walk up to the teachers table where he picked up the Sorting Hat and the roll of parchment with the students names and wandlessly floated the three legged stool to its place. Minerva stood to quiet the students as Harry headed back to the doors to fetch his first years.

"We're ready for you now," Harry said mysteriously swinging the door wide and leading them down the center isle of the hall. Minerva smiled at him like a mother would her son and he met her eyes and warmly returned the smile.

At the end of the walk he turned again.

There was a cough from the old hat, and the brim split wide, alsmost as wide as the first years eyes.

_Dear old students welcome back_

_and to our new students, hello!_

_Let me tell you a story dear_

_about our small chateaux._

_This castle seven stories tall_

_has a school inside its walls,_

_founded a thousand years ago_

_four friends had a grand idea_

_when I was newly sewn _

_to teach you witches and wizard here_

_and this is what they thought;_

_To my left are Ravenclaws, _

_the smartest of the bunch_

_and next to them are Slytherin!_

_Ambitions in a crunch._

_To my right are Hufflepuff_

_loyal to an end_

_and finally thoes brave griffindors!_

_my corageous friend!_

_Now you brand new students_

_will be sorted with the others _

_and you'll all do great, like all the rest_

_in the next seven years,_

_don't you fear, I do the best_

_sorting of first years._

"I will call your name," Harry told the frightened looking children, after the applause subsided, "You come put on the hat, and then go to your house table."

Harry unrolled the scroll. "And be quick," Harry said right before saying the first name, "after this we eat. Adam, Abigail."

Despite his warning every student walked to the stool like a death sentence so Harry once again was zoning out of the sorting ceremony (even though he was performing it)

"Malfoy, Scorpius," Harry had said what seemed like a hundred names of a hundred different children so he said this one too without registering it until he saw the white hair.

"Mr. Potter!" Harry was taken aback as the child ran to him on shaky legs and hugged him around the middle. "I remember you!"

"Scorp," Harry said in realization, the too small boy hugged him tighter and he wrapped an arm around him.

"Come on Scorp," Harry pulled him away gently. "Time to see what house you're in."

* * *

"Harry."

Harry looked up from his spot on the lounge. Minerva looked like there was something very wrong - on the night the first years came here.

"Minerva?" Harry stood immediately.

"You'll have to talk to him," she said shakily. Harry just nodded.

Harry quickly made his way up to the headmistress' office and pulled the old hat off of his shelf.

"_Pryderi?_"

Harry waited patiently for the hat to answer him.

"_Mr. Potter_."

"_there's something you wish to tell me?_" Harry felt the amusement from Pryderi.

"_Its not another case of abuse, Mr. Potter," _The hat told him, much to Harry's relief. "_Its young Mr. Malfoy.__"_

It was something Minerva, Himself and Prederi had thought of together, Prederi was a wise old hat and anything he thought a students teachers should know about - like abuse or mental illness, he would tell the headmistress the night of the sorting. He only spoke to Harry in extreme cases.

"_I doubt Draco would abuse his son,"_ Harry told Preyderi, the hat agreed with him completely.

"_Your daughter is doing well" _Prederi said kindly. Harry thanked him. "_I want you to imagine..."_

Harry closed his eyes and relaxed his mind.

Harry saw today - he woke up this morning and made himself and Teddy breakfast before they both ran around Grimmauld place like loons trying to find everything for the new term. Harry did a last check of the house, finding Teddy's hairbrush lying on the library floor and making the boy pack it, as pointless as it was.

He saw the rest of the day, seeing his son off on the train before apparating to Hogsmede and buying more quills and parchment then going to clean up his office and talking to the merpeople about catching him a hinkypunk for the third year lesson - he had to remember to pick that up tomorrow.

He saw the sorting and talking to Teddy just before curfew and then Mcgonagall coming to see him. He saw going to the office and meeting with Pryderi. then time jumped a little and he was leaving, a smile on his face, looking forward to first day lessons and seeing Teddy tomorrow. Harry went straight to bed when he got to his room, sleeping in his boxers and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

the next morning Harry felt a bit stiff, thinking it odd he pushed himself shakily out of bed, slipping his glasses on; force habit, his knees and fingers and hips complaining a lot more than usual. He stood, stretching but his back gave a pained twinge so he stayed stooped over.

"Grandpa!" there was a shout and a unrelenting bang on the door. Harry pulled on a robe, trying desperately to make it to the door but he couldn't move fast at all. He looked at his hands, they were thin and wrinkled and old.

He let out a startled shout and stepped back a bit, looking around the room frantically.

His hair was grey and he had hair in his ears, his glasses were huge and thicker than ever. His skin made him look like he was melting and when he opened his mouth it felt too slobbery and his teeth felt weak - everything felt weak.

"Grandpa!" The door finally unlocked and four children ran into the room, all with his dark hair, between about eight and eighteen.

"Happy birthday dad," Two adults entered then; all dark hair and smiles. Harry looked around the room in panic. "Teddy and the kids will be here soon."

Harry could just stare at them, they were strangers.

"Where's your dad-" Harry began to ask the girl who had apparently called him dad.

"Dads dead, Harry," The girl looked pained by an old wound.

"Hey Harry," Harry turned at the unknown voice and was startled to see Teddy in his sixties.

"Teddy what?"

"Dad?"

"Harry?"

He could feel unfamiliar arms on him and the panicked him further, he was crying and screaming but he didn't care.

"Fuck!" Harry cursed aloud when he was sitting in Minerva's office again.

"_I do love cussing!_"

"That's what Scorpius is thinking?"

Harry was too distressed to just think and was vocalizing everything. The hat agreed.

"_Except he has nothing to go by, his most vivid memory is the accident, his mother is dead and you were not there. He had a highly distressed Draco Malfoy and a hundred strangers trying to cram seven years of childhood into him at once."_

_"_He's very behind the others?" Harry asked, the hat agreed. "And scared," Harry finished. "I'll take four five hours a week to spend with him, perhaps Draco will agree to help as well." Harry said, the hat agreed with him happily.

"_You are so like Slytherin_," Pryderi told him, as he did every one of their conversations, "_and so like Gryffindor too."_

Harry grumbled at the hat and said a quick goodnight before slipping it off and placing it back on the shelf.

"It was a wonderful idea, Harry."

Harry looked at the solemn portrait of Dumbledore in his golden frame.

"Yes well," Harry said dryly before leaving in a huff, not missing Snape's snicker.

* * *

_Author's Notes: I have to laugh, there are a few reviewers excited about the little family they had and how wonderful it sounds. Sorry guys :D_

_You're going to leave me a little comment, because this is the third chapter in a week (fourth, technically if you include my cute little misplaced chapter.) And to encourage me in this busy busy time in my life._

_There's a poll on my profile about what will be next after this one is done, and I've got a very large __chunk of it written and edited, (It's not going up all at once to attract more readers and so I can keep ahead of the updates.) So go vote, or just have a look at my profile to see what I'm working on (then put me on author alert because I'm awesome like that.) _

_sarcasm..._

_Anyway, hope you're all still enjoying it, thanks for the reviews/favorites/alerts._

_-D_


	6. First Day Shakes

Harry was sitting in his office. His quill was tapping against the parchment just after the words; _D__ear Mr. Malfoy._

Harry sighed and looked at his barn owl Merwyn - Named after Merwyn the Malicious at Teddy's insistence, it was his favorite chocolate frog card.

"Ok, get it over and done with."

_Dear Mr. Malfoy,_

_As Head of House it is my duty to ensure the well being and smooth transition of my students to school. Scorpius has recently undergone a very traumatic event and I request your permission and participation in a specialized curriculum so he can catch up and adjust to Hogwarts._

_yours sincerely,_

_Professor Harry J. Potter _

_Defense__ Against the Dark Arts_

Harry folded the letter and sealed it with wax and his official Hogwarts seal. He then gave the letter to Merwyn, who took it in his beak and flew off with it.

Harry sat black in his chair and pulled the half finished first year lesson plan towards him.

He had almost finished when there was on knock on the door.

"Mr. Potter?"

"Scorpius are you alright?" Harry invited the boy into his office glancing at the clock.

"I want to write, to father..." The boy had a quill and parchment and he held it out to Harry. "It's too... Messy." He was frowning at the parchment with a determined and annoyed frown.

"Ok Scorp, show me."

_DeAR FatHa_

_I'm at HogWarTs TodaY._

Harry stopped reading.

"Okay, Scorpius, how about, just for tonight you tell me what you'd like to say?"

Scorpius looked up happily and nodded.

"Dear Father," He began.

"I came to Hogwarts on the train, and I was sorted by the hat. My room is very nice and I'm having lots of fun."

Harry smiled at him and wrote it down as neat as he could. Once he had finished dictating Scorpius looked at the letter with a critical eye.

"Thank you Mr. Potter, its much better."

"Scorpius, come with me, I'd like to talk to you."

Scorpius followed Harry to the small sitting room attached to his office and took a seat, he looked quite meek and was obviously trying very hard not to squirm.

"You're not in trouble, I just want to talk."

"Okay," Scorpius said quietly.

"How are you feeling, Scorp?" Harry sat next to the boy. Scorpius looked confused.

"Since you woke up from hospital, what have you been doing? Do you have any questions?"

Scorpius thought for a second.

"I have lots of work, because Daddy doesn't want me to be left behind," Scorpius frowned at Harry, "Who's leaving me behind?"

"Okay," Harry sat forwards a bit and looked into Scorpius' silver eyes.

"You remember your dad telling you about how you were in an accident? In hospital?"

Scorpius nodded.

"Well you were in that accident when you were three, right?"

He nodded again.

"And how old are you now?" Harry asked. Scorpius looked at his fingers and frowned for a bit.

"Can I borrow you're fingers Mr. Potter?"

Harry gave his hand to Scorpius who pried open his fingers and then pushed down four of them. He held his hands splayed next to Harry's.

"I'm eleven now," Scorpius said a bit unsure.

"Very good!" Harry said. " so you were asleep for a pretty long time, weren't you?"

Scorpius smiled a bit. "Seven years," He told Harry matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, wow," Harry gave Scorp a serious look. "That's a really long time, isn't it?"

Scorpius nodded, his bottom lip wobbling dangerously.

"You missed out on a lot, didn't you buddy?"

Scorpius' eyes were starting to well up.

"Mummy's dead, so is Grandma." He wailed, the lip and the tears all falling and wobbling at once.

Harry wrapped the boy in a half hug. "I know buddy, well your dad doesn't want you to miss out any more, so he's trying to make up for all the learning you missed out on. But I'm going to help too, all this year and next, so you don't need to worry too much hey?"

Scorpius smiled at Harry.

"Thank you Mr. Potter!" Harry squeezed the boy in a what he hoped was a comforting way.

"Now, we've got to get you back to the dorms, its very very past curfew."

* * *

"How are the new Gryffindors, Neville?" Harry was next to Neville on the head table at lunch and asked the Gryffindor Head about his new students. Neville smiled.

"Great, I'm pretty sure Teddy is the only one I've ever had trouble with on the first night."

"James Potter and Sirius Black, oh and the Weasley Twins, of course." Minerva told him, smiling like she had won some private competition.

Harry smiled "I'll have to let George know you almost forgot him," Harry threatened, Minerva glared a bit.

"What about the Slytherins, Harry, how are they?" Neville asked.

"Scorpius came to see me last night, and we had a chat, actually that reminds me Neville, could you keep him behind and let him know he is excused from the homework, and a copy of the notes would help, his writing is terrible, we'll be working on it during the year."

Neville smiled and nodded, "I'll let the others know when I see them," He told Harry. "I still can't believe you're head of Slytherin House.

"Blame Pryderi," Harry said with a shrug, "that stubborn Hat always gets its way." McGonagall laughed.

"I'm more inclined to blame you and your train of titles."

Harry laughed at her alliteration for his 'Lockhart' name (Professor-Auror Harry James Potter, DADA, youngest seeker in a century, defeater of Voldemort, Master of death, Tri-Wizard champion. Only head of house to a house not their own. He was forgetting one. Oh well.)

Pryderi selects the heads of house at the beginning of each year, and as no professors were from Slytheirn he re-sorted Harry and named him head of house. Of course Harry then needed to go through, in short, a crash course in Slytherin but it was worth it, he loved being head of house.

Of course his position had done wonders for house unity, again, Pryderi's agenda.

Shit, boy-who-lived! How could he forget that?

* * *

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry's first classes had gone well, he will admit to showing off a bit for the seventh years and scaring the fifth but that was part of the fun.

"Scorpius? How was your first day?"

The little blond haired boy pushed the door open and walked in shakily.

"What's wrong Scorpius?"

Harry stood and caught the boy as he stumbled into the room.

"Everything hurts," Harry scooped the small boy up in his arms and held him tightly.

"My legs and arms, they hurt. I'm tired."

Harry's eyes widened in realization and he quickly carried the boy to the infirmary.

"Harry! No, It's the second night, you're not oh-"

Harry smiled at Poppy as she realised he was holding a crying Scorpius.

"Too much in one day I think, hes just sore." Harry told the healer. Poppy cast a spell then nodded.

"Mr. Malfoy there's really no..." Poppy stopped at his look.

"Hes like a three year old, Poppy." Harry reminded her softly. Poppy blushed gracefully and nodded.

"Madame?" The red haired Infirmary Assistant came forward with a concerned look.

"Maxine Lane, wasn't it?" Harry asked her, she nodded.

"That's it Professor. Hey buddy how you going?"

Poppy was uncorking a muscle relaxant potion as Maxine distracted Scorpius.

"I heard you're having a bit of trouble writing, yeah?" She asked. Scorpius nodded.

"I was a bit like that," Maxine said, "Got all the letters all kinds of mixed up. Maybe Professor Potter will give you a time to come see me and I'll help you with your assignments? Just until you can manage by yourself."

Scorpius nodded sadly before accepting the vial from Poppy. He gave a sigh of relief after he took it.

"I hate being different," Scorpius muttered into Harry's neck, he was already falling asleep.

"I know the feeling buddy."

Harry inclined his head at Poppy and Maxine as he left. Poppy smiled and Maxine gave a thrilled wave.

Harry heard from Draco again that morning, his letter flying in with Merwyn.

_Professor Potter, _

_I assure you Scorpius is up to date with his development and no further interference is needed. _

_Any problems you find, you may contact me and I will see to it personally._

_Good Day,_

_Draco Malfoy._

Harry scrunched the letter up and incinerated it on his empty plate, making McGonagall jump, but then he vanished the ashes and happily began his breakfast. Draco can sod it. Harry knew the boy needed help and nothing would stop Harry 'Hero-Complex' Potter.

That day was quite a short day for Harry, he had second years then Teddy's year (third year).

The Second years got a lesson on Cornish Pixies, where Harry let one loose one the class at a time rather than a cage full at once and taught them the curse to stun it. It was quite a fun class for them, he almost felt guilty that he was lecturing them next lesson._  
_

The third years were much better fun though; Boggarts!

Like Remus had done for his own third year class, Harry had found a boggart and stuffed it in an old wardrobe. He waved his wand and cleared the floor of the room, the desks all sweeping up and stacking themselves against the walls.

his third years filed into the room in a very calm fashion, looking interested at the lack of furniture. Teddy and two of his friends Walker Hardy- who was a tall Muggleborn wizard, he had brown hair and dull green eyes and Ezekiel Van Dee Zee, who was a pureblood Dutch wizard, also quite tall, dark hair and eyes but very pale skin came in chatting excitedly.

Today Teddy sported Potter-hair and amber eyes.

"Don't unpack," Harry ordered the kids he stepped forward a little bit and indicated the closet, which was shaking slightly.

"Who can tell me what a boggart is?" Harry asked the class, it was a Gryffindor/Hufflepuff class and a Huffelpuff girl with strawberry blonde hair - Marleen Fudge, He believed she was the former minister's nephew's daughter - put her hand up.

"Miss Fudge?" Harry asked her; she smiled sweetly at him.

"It's a creature that shows you your worst fear."

"Yes!" Harry said, "A boggart is a shape-shifter, and no one knows what it really looks like, because as soon as we see it, and it sees us it will take the form of what we fear the most." Harry looked at the shaking cupboard again.

"The incantation is _Ridikolous_," Harry told them, "and its a good one to remember, Boggarts love cupboards and drains and other dark places like that - common, in houses actually, especially if you've been away for a while. What you have to do, when you cast the charm, is make your fear something amusing, like a spider in roller skates, or Lord Voldemort sucking a dummy, In my case-" Harry paused as he released the latch on the wardrobe with his wand and a Dementor flew towards him. The class gasped and the Fudge girl screamed a little.

"_Ridikolous_!" Harry cried and when the spell connected the Boggart tripped over and appeared to graze its hands and knees. The class giggled a bit and Harry forced the creature back into the cupboard.

"Now, form a line and you can all have a practice!"

The students scrambled into a line to face the boggart and Harry released the latch on the cupboard once again. Bea McIntyre was first up and the Boggart stepped out of the cupboard as a ghost.

"R-r-Ridikolous!" Bea said, the Ghost tripped as it floated and its head rolled off.

"Are you afraid of nearly headless nick?" One boy in the class called, Bea nodded nervously and made to move to the back of the line.

Harry was having fun, enjoying the inventive ways his third years humiliated their own fears but he was particularly interested when Teddy stepped up to the wardrobe. The Clown looked at him, it freed it feet of silly string and changed again.

Before Teddy was a werewolf, as big as Hagrid, spitting and snarling. Teddy's hand shook as he lifted his wand and he stumbled back a pace.

"Okay now, everyone forward!" Harry yelled, the class all stepped forward, Harry putting himself next to his godson who was quite. The Boggart was getting confused, changing into Clown-faced snakes with spider legs and Dementor robes telling them that they've failed their mothers death. It changed again and again, the more ridiculous and confused the fears became the more the children laughed at it, all but Teddy who was still firmly at Harry's side.

once it was back in the cupboard Harry told the class anyone who wanted another turn - or didn't get a turn - should come see him after dinner and they were to write a half foot essay on how to stop Boggarts from getting in and the best way to deal with them.


	7. Inky Blonde Hindrance

Three weeks since the start of term. Teddy had already caused Neville immeasurable amounts of trouble by masquerading as his classmates and Harry had to sit down and have a very strict talking to his godson.

Maxine Lane was a darling, wonderful, blessing of a girl. She and Scorpius had been working together on his reading writing and speech, and her own experience with dyslexia gave her a whole different approach to what Harry would've done. For now Scorpius was using a pen, just until he got fine control of his motor skills - skills which were developing at an outstanding rate.

The little boy worked twice as hard as every other student, Harry usually found him reading whatever he could in the library - which helped his speech tremendously too. Three nights a week he met with Maxine, and three nights he met with Harry, well two nights and a morning. Harry helped him with his magic, and his moving. Sunday morning Harry did some exercises with Scorpius designed for intensive muscle rehabilitation patients.

"Professor?" Harry smiled as Scorpius strode into the room. He didn't initially correct 'Mr. Potter' with 'Professor Potter' because the boy didn't need another change in his life, but two weeks ago he figured it out for himself.

"Could we talk? Just for a bit?"

"Of course Scorpius," Harry led him into the sitting room to the side of his office specifically for talking to students and they both sat down.

"I wanted to thank you, for all your help," Scorpius began timidly. "I'd still be so far behind everyone else if you and Miss Lane hadn't helped me out-"

"It's my pleasure Scorpius, you make teaching very easy."

Scorpius smiled at Harry.

"I wanted to ask about my sister," Scorp said, "Sadie, she's different."

"Different how?" Harry asked, a frown on his face.

"Father told me she's technically not my mother's daughter, because of some funny magic-"

"This is something you need to ask your father about, Scorpius." Harry told him sternly.

"Okay, Professor Potter." Scorpius said, looking a little shocked, and he stood. "I'll write my father about it, and thanks again."

He left, and Harry let him go.

* * *

Sadie was his daughter, and she was a year old by the time Draco lost Scorpius and his wife. She knew him, and he knew her, and god he missed her. Scorpius too was like a second son to him. Harry used to babysit the Malfoy kids all the time, especially in the summer, Draco worked almost constantly and Astoria worked three days a week, during the school term she would work at night and Harry would go straight from Hogwarts to Malfoy Manor.

Then the accident. Draco did enjoy travel by car, no matter what he told anyone else but didn't know much about it, so he didn't know the muggle born driver they hired being intoxicated and going 190 Km/H was very dangerous.

Astoria was in the front seat and Scorpius was behind her, and the driver wrapped that side of the car around a tree. Sadie was in the center, in her child seat and Draco behind the driver.

Astoria died on impact, the driver died moments after the Medi-wizards got there, Scorpius was in bad shape, and didn't wake up for seven years.

Somehow Sadie survived. Experts suggested it was either her own or Draco's magic that protected them. Draco himself had more than a few broken bones, and he never emotionally recovered from the crash, from losing his wife.

It wasn't so bad while Narcissa was alive, she kept him happy, kept him busy, didn't let him sit and drown himself in misery, but after she passed...

Harry tried, he really did, not only to see his daughter but to be there for Draco too. Well he hasn't spoken to Draco Malfoy in something like five years.

* * *

"Potter."

Harry was so surprised to hear that voice he actually jumped, his inkwell skittered across the desk splashing parchment and quills and...

"Damn it, my sandwich!" He fixed the inkwell and chucked his ruined sandwich in the paper basket by his desk, then used a quick spell to clean the ink of the sixth year's essays.

"Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, offering him a seat, "What do I owe the pleasure?"

Malfoy slammed a piece of parchment on his desk, Harry picked it up and read.

"_Dear father,_

_I haven't written in a while, because my writing just isn't neat enough but Miss Lane and Professor Potter have been helping me lots. My Potions essay got top marks last week!_

_At first, school was hard. I didn't like it here but my extra classes with Professor Potter and Miss Lane have been helping me so much, and Professor Potter talks to me too, about the accident and everything I missed out on._

_Which is why I'm writing. I was wondering if you could tell me about you and Sadie, what I missed while I was asleep._

_And can you tell me about how Sadie is different, I asked Mr. Potter and he said that's a question for you to answer._

_Lots of love,_

_Scorpius._

"His penmanship's good isn't it?" Harry asked, more excited by the boys progress than worried by Malfoy. Before mentioned Malfoy was seething.

"I told you he was fine!" Malfoy shouted. "He gets help at home, Potter-"

"Draco," Harry said. "I say this as a man who knew you for a good year a long time ago, you were trying to make him normal again too quick, at the rate hes going he'll be caught up early next year - top of his classes if he can keep up working as hard as he is.

Now I'm talking to you as His head of house, and saying I wouldn't let that boy continue his schooling without help. Look at this."

Harry opened the top drawer of his desk where Scorpius' first letter to his father was and handed it to Malfoy. Something in the man's face changed as he read it.

"You were telling him how important it is to catch up without giving him time to do it, he was in tears because he couldn't express himself properly, or to a high standard and..."

Harry had to pause for a second.

"You know he ran to me and hugged me during the sorting because he finally found someone he recognized " Harry asked. "Sadie is what, nine, you're more distant than ever, his mother and grandmother are gone and I guarantee none of his healers or tutors are a familiar face, Malfoy."

"You think you can tell me how to raise my son, Potter?"

"I'm not Harry Potter your school rival anymore Draco. I'm Professor Potter head of Slytherin with six years of teaching under my belt, and you really would do well to listen to me."

Malfoy glared at him.

"Did you write him back and congradulate him on his improvement and his marks and encourage him?"

"Potter you can't tell me how to raise my children!"

"I'm not trying to, my letter was to get you involved with the extra classes Scorpius will be taking this year, so we can fill in the missing seven years of his life without any kind of deadline. He's dealing with a big thing here."

Draco only deepened his scowl.

"I forbid the extra lessons." Draco said harshly. "He doesn't need them."

"Mr. Malfoy," Harry said pleading with the man. "Think about it?" He just asked simply. "Scorpius needs this."

Malfoy stood so suddenly his chair was flicked to the floor, and he turned on his heel and left.

Harry shook his head.

"Stubborn git," He sighed, pulling the essays back toward himself and righting the fallen chair with a flick of his wand.

"Professor?" Scorpius was standing in the doorway, shuffling his feet.

"Yes Scorpius?" Harry waved at the boy to come in.

"Dad said no extra lessons?" Scorpius asked sadly. Harry nodded. "So I can't do my flying lessons this year?"

Harry sighed.

"He meant-"

"But he didn't say-"

"Scorpius," Harry walked around his desk to stand in front of the blonde boy. "You're father made his meaning clear, and he is your father, I can't encourage keeping secrets from him, what he says, goes."

"You're my head of house!" Scorpius argued, Harry put a hand on his shoulder.

"Doesn't matter, your dad overrules me."

"I wish you were my dad," Scorpius pouted, "Teddy's lucky."

Harry kept quiet at that.

"If you need help you can always come to Maxine or I," Harry told him, "But from now on we can't have scheduled lessons."

"So, on the usual days, it'd be a good time asking for help, because those times just freed up?" Scorpius asked.

"I suppose so, yes," Harry said.

"Thank you Mr. Potter!" Scorpius cried, "I won't tell dad, I promise!"

Scorpius ran from the room, leaving Harry standing in the door, feeling guilty.

"Better tell Maxine," He muttered. Leaving the essays unmarked and heading to the hospital wing.

Maxine was making up the beds, or rather overseeing the beds being made up, her wand out and the crisp white linens flying about.

"Maxine!" Poppy barked, "Tie up your hair!"

"Sorry Poppy, Maxine chanted, she stuck her wand between her teeth, causing the linens to fall Limp in the air for a bit while she scrunched up her fuzzy red hair and restrained it with a thin leather band.

"Hello Professor!" Maxine said, she was only young 19 maybe, a third year when he began teaching.

"it's Harry, Maxine," He reminded her softly.

"Right, Harry sorry Sir," she said, he gave her a pointed look.

"Old habits," she said unapologetic.

"Scorpius' lessons are off," he told her, "Mr. Malfoy came to see me today and expressly banned them."

"That stubborn Git!" Maxine said quietly. "Scorpius is improving enough to keep his head above water, did you hear about his potions essay?"

Maxine looked delighted to be telling him about Scorpius' potions essay, Harry nodded, just as proud.

"He has a long way to go. Still."

"Not quite physically recovered," Madame Pomfrey said, inviting herself into the conversation. "He's too small, but that may never be fixed, tires quickly, has a lot of trouble with more complex emotions, doesn't bond well with his peers, bouts of down right dangerous accidental magic. But, as far as his development goes, his reading and writing and general learning are all average, if a little below average. Fine motor skills still a bit shaky."

"I was just about to start practice with a quill," Maxine said, "I honestly believe he would be done with his spare literacy lessons by Christmas, even if he still came to see me about his emotional responses."

"You've done well, Maxine." Poppy praised her intern and turned to Harry.

"What are you going to do?"

"Change the name?" Harry asked, Maxine grinned.

"Oh," Poppy said after a moment. "Is that strictly ethical?"

"Probably not," Harry admitted, "maybe we focus not on the tasks but the journey?" Harry said, struck by inspiration.

"Yes, master Yoda," Maxine muttered out through her giggles.

"it _was_ cryptic for Harry," Poppy agreed, "but true. Focus on emotional and social skills more than anything and he will make friends and develop the rest, practice and such. Come on Harry I have some ideas."

* * *

Harry was expecting Scorpius on Sunday morning.

"Hello Scorpius," Harry said, "I want to do things a bit differently now."

"Yes?"

"I want to help you, of course, but your father doesn't want the added stress of these extra lessons, so I'm going to show you some things that you can practice, okay? In your own time."

"Okay Professor," Scorpius replied.

Harry tipped the box of goodies on the desktop and sorted them out.

"Paint," he said, "playdough," he stacked the tubs of bright dough on the desk, "and..." Harry paused and lifted the 3/4 guitar from next to his desk, placing it where the boy could see. "You're going to learn guitar."

"For my hands?" Scorpius said, gently grabbing the guitar and looking at it in wonder.

"Yes," Harry confirmed, "I believe Maxine has volunteered to show you some things to practice as well."

"Thank you Professor." Scorpius said softly.

"No problem Scorp. one more thing," Harry took a breath before continuing. He always hated talking about emotions. "I want to talk to you about things you feel and how you cope with them, is that alright?"

Scorpoius nodded so Harry continued.

"Alright then, anger, tell me about feeling angry."

"Oh," Scorpius looked a bit confused, but continued anyway. "When I'm angry it's because I'm hurt, or, or something's unfair, yeah."

"Very good, that's normal," Harry assured the boy, "not a nice thing to feel, is it?" He asked.

"Not really, makes me feel like I shoud _do_ something."

"Me too, when I'm angry, and how do we cope with anger?"

"Not allowed to hit, and sometimes you can't make things fair, so calming down. You deal with anger by calming down, thinking about something else or stopping and deciding what to do about it."

"Very good Scorp. Ok, how about confusion?"

"Easy!" Scorpius said, "you don't understand something, so you can ask for help, or look for answers."

Harry did this for all the usual emotions; excited, surprised, pleased, bored and uncomfortable, they were all easy, Scorpius knew what they were and what caused them and how to deal with them it was the next few which had him worried, especially after _his_ whole ordeal with the Dursleys, at least there were no problems with anger.

"Okay, how about Anxiety, do you know what that is?"

Scorpius paused.

"Being worried," He said, his eyes on the floor.

"That's right, do you worry a lot, Scorpius?"

"I don't want to talk about it," It was nearly a whisper, but Harry caught it.

"Just let me, for a minute. Worry, Anxiety or Stress happens when you have a lot of things to do, or very important things to do, like exams or lots of homework. Sometimes you're stressed and you don't even realize but, what's important is recognizing that sneaky stress for what it actually is and then calming down, relaxing, okay?"

Scorpius nodded.

"You know how you deal with anxiety, Scorp?" Harry asked gently.

"No Sir."

"Talk about it, or write about it, in a journal or something similar. A friend is a good person to talk to, or a teacher, not just me, any teacher, or Maxine too, your father or your sister, okay buddy? The most important thing is to not bottle it up."

"Okay Mr. Potter, may I leave now?"

"You can Scorpius, but do me a favor?" Harry asked the boy.

"Yes sir," Scorpius said, his bag was in his hand ready to go.

"I want you to start a journal," Harry encouraged, pulling out a green material covered blank notepad with a silver and red dragon on the front. "Your eyes only, and you should write about all your emotions and what caused them and what they mean whenever you feel a bit overwhelmed, and could you come see me for another chat, there's one more thing I want to talk to you about?"

"I will sir, Tuesday maybe." Scorpius accepted the journal and left the room.

Harry was dreading Tuesday, because if bringing up anxiety could make that boy close off like that, he didn't dare to think what making him talk about sadness and grief was going to be like. Harry, Poppy and Maxine all had a sneaking suspicion Scorpius didn't actually believe his mother was dead.


	8. Accidental Magic

Tuesday came and went with no visit from Scorpius. Harry didn't hear from Malfoy either and honestly he was a little glad. But he knew he couldn't let both of them avoid their problems. He didn't want to think of the cold household he let his daughter grow up in because Draco allowed himself to wallow in his grief, for as much as he resented Dumbledore for leaving him with the Dursleys and never checking up on him, well, he had done the exact same thing.

He knew Draco though, through school and after the war, and he was a good guy, if a little misguided at times. He wouldn't have locked her in a cupboard and starved her half to death. Harry blinked the prickling feeling from the corner of his eyes fighting the rising panic.

There was a bang in the castle somewhere, and he jumped out of his seat and cried out, falling to the floor. He hit his head on the corner of his desk and slapped his hand over the wound. Pulling it away it was covered in blood.

Harry began to hyperventilate, he ran awkwardly to the floo, grabbed a handful of powder with his bloody hand, pulling his wand out with the other and flung himself into the floo.

* * *

Minerva heard a loud bang in the castle, it made her jump a little and knock over her inkwell. Without straightening it she stood and ran out of her office. She paused before she reached the door.

"Where?" She asked the portrait of Phyllida Spore. The woman ran out of her frame, reappearing a moment later.

"In the dungeons, Headmistress."

"Thank you!" Minerva called, already running towards the dungeons.

"Headmistress!"

Minerva felt her skin go white when she could hear the crying students and the blood on the wall.

* * *

"MALFOY!" Harry shouted, his chest was hurting and his vision blurred as he stepped into the manor, his wand was drawn and he could swear he saw the flashes of spells in his peripheral vision.

"Potter, what the-"

Malfoy's voice sounded very far away, the black around his vision thickened, then everything went black.

* * *

Poppy and Maxine were already helping the injured students, Slughorn was sitting with a still shaking Scorpius Malfoy and she had just sent Neville to find Harry, while Lyric, Yvette and Ignatius were sent to get the Parents of the students involved.

"Oh," Minerva left the healers to their work and went back to the dungeons. She vanished the mess on the wall and turned to the students, a few in particular were looking quite distressed.

"Alright students!" Minerva called. "Miss Max and Mr. Rosier will be fine," She told them, "Mr. Malfoy is with his father being calmed down as we speak. Professor Potter is with them, but if anyone needs to talk about what you saw today Professors Kim, Flitwick and D'Amore are in the library if you need them. Otherwise go back to your common room please."

The hallway got less and less crowded as the students left, a few heading towards the library and others, despite sobbing uncontrollably were led to the common room by their friends.

Minerva sighed.

"Professor!" Neville came skidding around the corridor. "I found Harry, hes-"

The look in Neville's eyes was enough and Minerva followed him back to the Hospital wing without any more explanation.

"Harry?" Whatever Minerva had suspected it was not this, his eyes were clouded over and his face was covered in blood, he was bound, tightly. Malfoy was with Scorpius, hugging the boy close but Minerva couldn't see their faces. The parents of the other two students were harassing Madame Pomfrey while Maxine was talking to her patients, calming the two first years down.

Harry gasped, in a puff of smoke and wild fire like sparks the ropes he was in disintegrated. He leapt forwards on wobbly feet and lunged at nothing, on his hands and knees he called "Sadie! Sadie!"

Minerva only saw a glimpse of long black hair and a little girl was in Harry's arms, clinging to him desperately. Minerva grabbed Harry's collar and dragged him out of sight behind hospital curtains and went to deal with the parents.

"Expelled... disgraceful... pay for this... lose your bloody job!"

Both pairs of parents were talking at the same time and poor old Minerva just couldn't deal with this.

"Enough," She snapped, "Quiet all of you, this was an accident and-"

"Accident! Accident you say? Our daughter was viciously attacked!"

"Shut up, Max!"

Minerva wouldn't deny she breathed a sigh of relief as her DADA Professor came out from behind the curtains, still white and shakey but the blood was no longer on his face.

"Sorry, Minerva," He said to her quietly, she just gave him a stern nod. The parents of the injured students seemed to loose their steam standing before Harry Potter.

"Maxine, how are they?" Harry asked first, the young red-head turned with a smile, both Irene Max and Jules Rosier were sitting up, awake and quite clam.

"Fine Professor, maybe just a bit sore hey guys?"

The children nodded, though both looked terrified as Harry pinned them with a scary stare. Minerva briefly wondered if it was okay for him to give these children the same look he gave Lord Voldemort, then realized that yes, yes it was.

"You two want to tell me what happened?" Harry asked icily.

"Hold on a second here!" Rosier, Evan Rosier's grandson, Minerva remembered the man being, spoke up.

"Mr. Rosier," Harry said pointedly, "Let the children explain, please."

"Well he attacked us, didn't he?" Irene Max said, pointing a finger at Scorpius.

"Why?" Was all Harry asked.

The two children were quiet for a very long time. Minerva finally broke the silence.

"You will tell us what happened and you will tell the truth, _now!"_

The students jumped.

"Jules," Mr. Rosier warned.

"Okay, fine," Jules said, "We were in the hallway, and he was just sitting there, so we decided to talk to him-"

"You're lying."

It was the little girl from before, Sadie, Harry had called her. She was staring at Jules with silver eyes, Malfoy's eyes and her look the same as Harry himself.

"Sadie, come here please," Malfoy called. She backed down immediately.

"Yes father."

"You were picking on Mr. Malofy?" Harry asked, the student's nodded. "What did you say to him?"

They were quite again.

"I asked him if he got enough beauty sleep," Max said quietly.

"I said his mother was dead because his father is a death eater who was disappointed when he woke up." Rosier admitted.

Harry frowned. "Very forthcoming of you." he said.

"Oh," Maxine blushed, "that's the side effect of the pain relief potion I used." She muttered.

"Well," Harry said, "Are you surprised Scorpius lashed out at you like that?"

"Not really," Irene muttered while Jules shook his head.

"Once you are better you will both have five nights detention for bullying, with me." Harry held up his hand to the 'about to object' parents.

"Mr. Malfoy will be punished as well, though accidental, magic will not be used in the hallways and especially against other students. He should just hit them next time, you may leave when you're ready."

Harry didn't go to the Malfoys straight away. Instead he went behind his hospital curtain and sat on the bed, Minerva approached him cautiously.

"Are you alright Harry?" Minerva asked him gently.

"Yeah, I just, panicked, Dursleys and everything, then the war, and - I'm alright."

"I'll send in Poppy," Minerva told him, "Stay here."

"No!" Harry stood, "I have to finish this up."

"Harry!" Minerva reached for his arm but he was gone.

She followed him to the Malfoys.

"Scorp?"

"My, my, mummys gone." He whispered. Minerva's eyes widened in realization.

"Mr. Malfoy, a word?" She said sternly to Draco, he nodded and stood as Scorpius launched himself at Harry in a massive hug.

"You haven't given that child any time to mourn have you?"

"He, it was so long ago-"

"Come with me to my office, please." Minerva said quietly.

He stopped and whispered something to the little girl and followed her from the room. It was a tense and quiet walk to the seventh floor and Minerva hadn't even shut the door behind him when she began her lecture.

"You are aware of the very public way Mr. Potter's childhood was revealed, don't you?" She asked, he nodded.

"After that particular incident, Harry had the idea of a bargain with Pryderi, the Sorting Hat, that when he felt there are circumstances that warrant teachers interference, like a poor home life or illness among other things, the hat would let the headmaster or headmistress know about it. The night your son was sorted, I went to speak with the hat, and he requested to talk to Harry, and only Harry. This has only happened two years since we began it. Once, a young girl was being sexually assaulted by her father and uncle, and a second time there was a young boy who was severely starving and hurting himself." Minerva paused for a second.

"Harry spent a long time talking to Pryderi and the only thing he told me afterwards was, and I quote 'Imagine going to bed tonight, and waking up tomorrow 40 years older.'"

Minerva was pleased when Malfoy's face went stark white.

"He remembered, it was like a night?"

"It was, Mr. Malfoy."

"Potter - he's... and I've, gods I messed up." Draco put his head in his hands.

"I was hoping you'd tell me what happened to Harry tonight?" Minerva asked the blonde man.

"He flooed to the manor half crazy, calling for Sadie." Malfoy told her. "I think it was panic, induced by some of the trauma in his past, maybe triggered by Scorpius's explosion."

"Why was he looking for your daughter?" Minerva asked, genuinely confused.

"Sadie was a case of _Magia Puer dimidiam._" Draco stated softly, Minerva gasped.

"So she is actually..."

"Yes, both my and Potter's daughter." Draco confirmed, "Now I'd like to see my son."

With that Malfoy turned on his heel and left.

* * *

Harry hadn't spoken to Scorpius since that day. It seemed Draco realized his mistake and redoubled his efforts to alienate his children. Scorpius was being taken from the school every weekend to spend the time at home but he was improving greatly. By Christmas Harry wouldn't even be able to guess anything was wrong by how he acted in class and the quality of his work, He was even using a quill. But Scorpius was still a lonely little boy.

He also never heard from Sadie, somehow that night in the Manor the little girl knew exactly who he was and he was expecting a secret letter or something but nothing came. He didn't try to contact her either. Harry had this all consuming desire to be in contact with her again, to help raise her, but Draco had already threatened legal action for stalking his daughter and Harry didn't need _those_ rumors flying about, specially considering he was a teacher with a young godson as well.

Speak of the devil.

"Hey Cub," Harry swept the first year's essays aside to give his godson his absolute attention, Teddy smiled happily as he sat down.

"What did you do, cub?" Harry asked suspiciously. Teddy pulled an innocent look, not-so-subtly giving him Lily-eyes.

"Don't Lily-eyes me Mr." Harry warned.

"But Haaaaarrrrrrrry!" Teddy whined. "I didn't even _do_ anything, just came to say he-"

"Oh yeah," Harry replied sarcastically. "You come in here all innocent and harmless for a nice chat?"

"Actually I set the girl Prefects book on fire in the common room, not on purpose!"

"Teddy?"

"She was saying stupid stuff about you." Teddy whined.

"Still that's no reason to-"

"I don't want teacher Harry right now," Teddy whispered miserably.

"Cub, come on." Harry stood and extended his hand to his thirteen year old godson, who took it and followed Harry out of his office and into his classroom, then they went into the dungeons together and into Harry's living space. What he knew used to be Severus Snape's living space.

It was the designated space for the Head of Slytherin House, and Slughorn had refused its use in order to be closer to the Great Hall on the first floor so Severus's things had still been here when Harry moved in. He was given them by Minerva, who, despite owning them on the basis that they were in her possession when he died, passed them onto Harry, with the argument that Severus had no one else to give them too, and He had shared his most secret Memories with Harry in his dying breath.

Things were dark wood and black mostly. A simple lounge with a wall of bookshelves, two rooms, a potions lab which he made into a room for Teddy, keeping the Potions things in a hidden cupboard behind the bookshelves (as well as another for linens and one for Severus's personal things from his bedroom). And His own room, which was bare but for his photo album and a picture of his mother that fell out the half-read book that was on the coffee table when he first came in the room (he had framed it), next to the picture of Lily was Draco Malfoy's Hawthorn wand which Draco had insisted he keep, and the snapped pieces of the elder wand. They were sitting atop a chest of drawers, there was an armorie in the corner and a double bed in the center with another stack of essays and a candle on the left bedside table. Come to think of it, having a candle and a stack of flammable material near his head as he slept was not so smart.

"Harry?"

Harry startled at Teddy's voice, who was flopped on the lounge wrapped in a blanket that was worn but warm and had the Slytherin crest knitted into it.

"Sorry," Harry muttered sitting down next to the - he glanced over - red haired boy.

"So what was the prefect saying?" Harry asked. Teddy gave Harry a look. "What?"

"You haven't heard the gossip?" Teddy answered with a different question, Harry shook his head.

"People are saying you're in love with Draco Malfoy and are going to be the next Dark Lord, the prefect was waving around some centuries old prophet from when you were in fifth year-"

"God not fifth year," Harry interrupted him, smacking himself in the face.

"I don't doubt you're insane," Teddy continued, "But evil? no way."

"Hey, my fifth year was not _centuries _ago, thank-you."

Teddy giggled at him.

"Which book was it?"

"Her Transfiguration textbook." Teddy replied with a huge smile.

"The seventh year prefect, was it?" Harry asked, Teddy confirmed.

"You know Professor Watson will give her a weeks detention for missing that essay?"

"Serves her right, she could borrow a friends book."

"True but that seventh year prefect isn't real bright. I think her fathers one of the School Governors."

"Obviously shes not bright, she crossed the Marauders!" Teddy declared. Harry pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks for sticking up for me Cub, but you can't attack everyone who starts nasty rumors. They're always trying to dig up some juicy goss."

"I can try, right Prongslett?" Teddy asked, Harry ruffled his hair, which turned black.

"You are trouble, cub."

"Thanks Harry, I love you."

"Love you too, now go get in trouble." Harry shooed him away.

"For what, I was here with you?" Teddy asked innocently.

"You twist my arm," Harry said, "You sneaky little lion."

Teddy smiled his bright smile at Harry and left without another word.


	9. Daily Prophet Report, May 2008

**_Mr. Harry Potter Chosen One For What?_**

_It was revealed today by a reliable source close to Mr. Potter that he was indeed the cause of the death of his loving Aunt, Petunia Dursley. The Dursely's were outstanding members of their muggle community, and famous among the Wizarding World for raising the Chosen One, Harry Potter, like their own so after the tragic murder of their close friends and Mrs Dursley's sister, Lily Potter - Harry's parents._

_It was not reported amongst Wizards when Mrs Petunia Dursley died in a house explosion in late 2007. Nor was the case looked into, by our own Aurors, despite them being present at the scene along with the Muggle Aurors. Official muggle Auror documents state it was a muggle explosion (caused by their non-magic things) that caused the roof of their lovely muggle home to collapse on her, but really it was a case of accidental magic._

_Accidental magic itself is common, but in a 26 year old man? Let alone one with enough magical discipline to take down a Dark Lord with a disarming charm? This reporter remains unconvinced!_

_In December 2007 a terrifying explosion rocked Privet Drive, Surrey, muggle Aurors and firefighters were called immediately to the scene, where Mr. Dudley Dursley was comatose with sheer terror, Mr. Vernon Dursley was grievously wounded and quite distraught and Mrs Petunia Dursley was fatally wounded. Shortly after the muggle healers reached the scene, Mrs Dursleys was dead. _

_What caused the explosion though? You should've guessed by now, Harry Potter losing control of his considerable magical ability. _

_Mr. Potter was the only one unharmed on the scene, and reports state he was laughing like a maniac, simmilar to Sirius Black after that criminal's own murder of his once good friend. _

_The Ministry of Magic did attend the scene, oblivators allowing the muggle emergency response teams to do their job in accordance with the Statue of Secrecy while Aurors and Healers did what they could for the unfortunate Dursley family. _

_Potters official statement reads "I tried to reconcile... It made me so angry... I just killed her."_

_Petunia was a loving, innocent defenseless muggle woman, who was painfully murdered by a boy she considered a son in front of her only family and this boy gets away with it?_

_I among all my readers can never express the gratitude the to valiant chosen one for ending Voldemort once and for all but maybe we are dealing with a much more serious threat than Voldemort now._

_Despite this vicious and vindictive streak Potter possesses, he has been developing severe and violent fits of rage and uncontrollable anger since the meek age of fifteen and was considered quite a dangerous wizard, watched by our ministry during his coming of age year. _

_Finally we must point out, apart from Potter's most recent, most evil murder of his aunt, it is not the first time this boy has killed, or used dark magic; last year the Wizarding World surely remember when Potter revealed to having used and fallen victim too all three of the unforgivable curses. _

_"Voldemort tried to make me bow, and I didn't let him." Was P__otter's recount of his time as a victim of the imperious curse cast by the dark lord himself. __"Bogrod the goblin... Breaking into Gringots was something I had to do... Bogrod died because of it." __Harry Potter retells his use of the Imperious curse to successfully break into Gringotts Wizarding bank, another serious breach of the law which went unpunished. _

_"I resisted the cruciatus, while I could feel it, it was like it wasn't registering, I had to make Voldemort believe I was dead." __Mr. Potter speaking about an ability to resist the Cruciatus Curse._

_"She actually looked scared, when I screamed at her, then it sort of gave her a bit of a jolt and she laughed at me." M__r. Potter recounts using the Cruciatus Curse for the first time on an unarmed woman._

_"Twice, I was killed and I survived, Voldemort cast the spell both times." __Harry acknowledges that he did die, when hit with the killing curse and made a decision to come back. But why would he come back, saying he dearly longs to be reunited with his family?_

_Finally the apparent Disarming Charm Potter used to kill the Dark Lord. Is it the numerous instances of extreme exposure to Dark Magic that has disfigured his magical core into something so destructive it converts simple spells into the most destructive ones there are. Maybe however Mr. Potter has been training for such a skill?_

_That spell, whatever it was killed a man, and somehow Mr. Potter was able to create a brand new killing curse from a second years disarming charm. Once again, my gratitude to him for killing the Dark Lord but we can't have this extremely dangerous man among the people, let alone teaching our children as the newly appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_Has anyone thought of a boy who, from sixteen years old was a target of a Dark Lord, may become a Sociopath? Personally, and I don't doubt you would agree, our brave Gryffindor chosen one is a snake after all. He didn't save us from the Dark Lord, he killed his biggest competition._

_Not only do we have numerous accounts of fits of rage and unstable behavior, a complete disregard for the laws of our world and no respect for magical and human-like creatures We have his dangerous association with Sirius Black, and the parallels between Black and Potter become clear and frightening._

_So, Harry Potter, the boy who lived to become the next Dark Lord, the Chosen One who will start the fourth large Wizarding war of our time?_

_Was Rogrod the goblin, and Petunia Dursley the first victims in a long line of good people killed in a war worse than any other, because we are giving a Dark Lord more powerful than any other free reign over our world?_


	10. Professor

Teddy in fact, didn't get caught for lighting a seventh year prefect's book on fire, and said seventh year prefect did get a week worth of detentions for not doing her essay due to her scorched book, which she made no effort to replace and even threw onto Lyric's desk instead of her homework scroll.

Lyric Watson reminded Harry a lot of Tonks, crossbred with McGonagall. She was a very kind, cheerful person, but was strict as in class. Last year she had started a snowball fight in the Great Hall over Christmas, and somehow was the third most feared professor in faculty. Minerva being in the top spot followed by Lauressa D'Amore the Potions Master. (Harry wasn't even in the running, it would be unfair, as he was one of the most feared people in the world -death to Voldemort and all.)

Lauressa was wonderful, very much like Severus, but she was home schooled by her Potions Master father and was far more learned in the art than anything else. Maybe a bit of Herbology, but she hardly used her wand. Her classroom was full of all sorts of pickled things and plants growing in pots but it was a total bomb site. The biggest difference between Lauressa and Severus was not the skill, or the style of teaching but the fact that Luressa was allergic to organisation without being slow or clumsy about it, Harry admired her skill to keep track of chaos.

Harry finished his scrawled lesson plan off with a flourish and set it aside before pushing his chair away from his desk and heading to the Great Hall for dinner. He happily eavesdropped on the students as he passed, noting that Jules Rosier was planning to sneak in a broom despite the first year rule and Addison Haber and Napier Erdos, two first year Gryffindor's were planning a bet to see who could get closest to the Whomping Willow.

"Remember to put in a death clause," Harry reminded them quietly, both boys looked confused before one of their classmates - Marisol Quigley- explained he was implying they might die if they tried it. Harry smiled. Who would name their kid Marisol? Smart girl none-the-less.

Peyton Howards, Gil Paige, Walker Hardy and Ezekiel Van De Zee were standing outside the hall, four of the seven third year Gryffindors and all Teddy's closest friends. Peyton was a tall lanky boy, his hair was blonde but he had dark, kind eyes and thick eyebrows. Gil was an orphan, coming from an orphanage in Muggle London. He was small, with very dark brown hair and apple green eyes, and the boy was brilliant but painfully shy. Walker was a loudmouth and Harry really didn't like the boy, He reminded Harry strongly of Cormack McLaggen, his hair was Dudley blonde and he was quite chubby but not the whale proportions his cousin had reached. Lastly was Ezekiel Van De Zee who was a tall and dark haired pure blood Dutch boy who had a mischievous glint in his eye that reminded Harry of the young Sirius Black he saw in Severus' fifth year memory. It scared Harry a bit, he knew that very, very soon Teddy and Ezekiel would start causing all sorts of mayhem.

"Teddy's been in the library all day!" Walker was saying loudly, "Hes not even doing homework the prat's just ignoring us."

"He's not a prat," Gil said quietly, Peyton was frowning at Walker while Ezekiel rolled his eyes.

"Teddy's just all cut because everyone keeps asking him about Hare-Bear."

"Don't call me Hare-Bare!" Harry cried at the boy, who, while his friends all looked a little scared, smiled at him charmingly.

"Sorry Professor," Ezekiel said respectfully, "I will, from now on make sure to practice an appropriate impersonal relationship at Hogwarts, but you'll always be Mr. Hare-Bare to me."

"Ezekiel," Harry warned. The boy smiled at him. "Go to dinner, boys." Harry dismissed the three students trying to look serious and Ezekiel who was still smiling charmingly at him.

"Damn kid." Harry muttered entering the Great Hall and looking for Teddy straight away, finding him greeting his laughing friends at the Gryffindor table, then scanning the Slytherin table to find Scorpius, who was sitting by himself at the end closest to the teachers table.

Minerva smiled at him as he sat down between her and Neville. Neville was happily talking to Poppy and Maxine. Minerva laughed at him.

"Yes?" Harry asked her with an eyebrow raised.

"Hare-Bear?" Minerva asked with a tight smile.

"I'll bring back Minnie Mouse," Harry warned her. Her smile fell.

"Sirius told you about that?"

"Of course he did," Harry said, "Information like that should never be lost."

"Well, at least I contained it to just Sirius," Minerva defended herself, "Mr. Van Dee Zee has just about the whole school calling you Professor Hare-Bear."

"At least they're using Professor."

"You know Voldemort will be rolling in his grave right?" Neville asked, "He was defeated by Professor Hare-Bear."

"Shut up Neville," Harry said playfully, Madame Pomfrey laughed at them.

"This has to be addressed immediately." Harry said seriously, standing up and heading to his office.

Harry walked between the Gryffindor and Huffelpuff tables on his way out of the hall. He heard his dreaded nickname whispered over and over and stopped behind his godsons seat.

"Does this make you Teddy-bear?" Harry said, loudly enough for the surrounding people to hear.

"NO!" Teddy said in a horrified and disbelieving voice.

"I've no doubt you're behind that nickname, Teddy-bear."

Ezekiel laughed at him.

"What are you laughing at Geeky Zekie?" Harry asked even louder. Ezekiel grinned at him. The surrounding tabled roared with laughter.

"Oh," Harry said, loud enough to attract the attention of everyone in the hall, "Don't you laugh at Teddy-Bear and Geeky Zekie. If I catch you using my improper little nickname you're in for it too." Harry warned.

"Professor Hare-Bare," Ezekiel provided unnecessarily, "In case anyone was in doubt."

"Thank you," Harry said sarcastically, and he turned on his heel and left.

Teddy looked at his friends horrified.

"Teddy Bear," Walker teased.

"No!" Teddy ordered.

"Can you change your features to look like a Teddy Bear?" Gil asked, "Wait..."

The four boys stared at their friends horrified look.

"You did!" Gil said.

"No!" Teddy cried.

"Come on Ted," Ezekiel taunted, "Tell the truth."

"Nooooo," Teddy whined.

"Bet Hare-Bear will tell us!" Peyton said, pulling Gil along as Ezekiel and Walker jumped up.

"NO!" Teddy shouted, capturing the attention of the other students as he chased his friends out of the hall.

Harry, much to Teddy's relief didn't give them the information they wanted, he did dub Walker 'Texas Ranger', though none of them but Gil seemed to understand the reference and Gil ended up with the nickname Gilyweed, Peyton smiled a challenging smile at Harry as Harry stared at him with a look of utter concentration.

"I can't call you Peyton Satan." Harry said. "Hmmm. I'll think of something."

Harry waved them away dismissively, and the five boys went back to the common room, Gil quietly saying he needed to finish his Potions essay off.

Teddy flopped onto his favorite armchair while Gil jogged up to the dorms to get his stuff, Walker and Peyton pulled out their exploding snap cards and Ezekiel disappeared.

"Where's Zeke?" Teddy asked, the two boys on the floor shrugged and Gil came down the stairs with armfuls of parchment.

"You work too hard Gil," Teddy told the boy as he spread his school crap on a small table. "That essays not due till next week."

"Has to be perfect," Gil whispered, concentrating very hard as he picked up his quill and dipped it in his inkwell.

"It is," Ezekiel sauntered into the common room like he owned the place. Then he sobered up.

"I have to go visit my sister tonight," He said somberly. They all looked at him with varying degrees of pity. His sister was really sick.

"Is she okay?" Walker said quietly. Zeke nodded.

"I'll see you on Friday." he said with a tight smile and left.

"His sister is so sick," Peyton said, Gil nodded.

"She has Type II Osteogenesis Imperfecta," Gil supplied. "Its pretty serious."

"He visits her about once a month, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, since first year," Teddy said, "For a couple days."

"Whats her name again?" Walker asked.

"Bethany, shes 4 I think." Gil said, Teddy nodded.

The group were quiet for a moment, and uncomfortable and then Walker bullied Peyton into resuming their game, Gil began to re-read his assignment and Teddy shrugged and skipped up the steps to find a book. He missed Zeke already.

* * *

Thursday was usually a great day for the boys, they had History of Magic and then double DADA then nothing. And Harry always, always, always, did an awesome practical class on Thursdays.

They were not disappointed.

"Now," Harry clapped his hands, the class was empty of usual classroom things, instead full of trees. "Who can tell me what we might be studying?"

The class looked around the set up of the classroom, all totally confused.

"Okay, when you're wandering the forest at night," He said, "What sort of dark creature might jump out at you? anyone?"

"Well anything could," Cora Mason shouted, she was a Ravenclaw with an annoying bob haircut.

"True Miss Apple-Cora," Harry said, not missing a beat when the class giggled at the girls nickname, "but what I've got today will try to do something very specific. So, I want you to wander around."

Harry walked back into the trees and the students, still confused began to wander around the classroom.

Teddy was walking through the trees when he saw it, a light. A man holding a lantern was leading him along a path he hadn't seen.

"Gil," Teddy pointed to the thing and tugged his friend along. "Its helping us," Teddy said certain.

"No wait!" Gil tugged Teddy's sleeve back. "Its not, I've read about these before, Its a Hinkypunk," He pulled his wand and pointed it at the creature. "I can't remember the spell."

"Gilyweed, Teddy Bear!" Harry emerged from the trees by their side, giving Gil 7 points for correctly identifying the hinkypunk. "The spell is _Lumos Duo_," Harry said, pulling his own wand and showing them the 'flick-flick' movement.

"Then _filppendo_ to finish it off, but don't finish him, I want everyone to face it."

"Yes Professor Hare-Bare," Gil said, a look of determination on his face, he did the spell perfectly allowing Teddy to get a glimpse of the Hinkypunk before it turned into blue-grey mist again.

"_Lumos Duo!_" Teddy cried, this time the creature stayed whole, it had a lumpy body and a single tail like leg, and two spindly arms with no desternable head or neck, in one hand - or rather at the end of an arm was a large lantern.

"_Lumos Duo!" _Gil cried again and the Hinkypunk stayed solid.

"Flippendo!" Harry said, it fell over the lantern clattering but not going out or leaving its hand.

"Great work!" Harry told them, "Twenty points to Gryffindor, now off you go so the rest of the class can take a crack.

The rest of the lesson was much the same, Gil thought there were five Hinkypunks wandering around in the room and after the period ended they got to see the consequence of following them.

Darcy, Verna and Paisley, two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw respectively, were covered in honey and feathers.

"Now, quiet kids, okay," Harry began shushing the laughing class. "In a real forest, what would happen is you would be led to a swamp, lake or bog and drowned, so its important not only to remember that Hinkipunks are out there, but also that _feeling_ you get, like you're certain they're going to help and you should follow. Remember that feeling, because we'll come across it when we cover vampires and some other curses later, alright? Your homework is about that feeling, and the thought process, your own experience please and start to speculate about how you would fight it. Non-formal homework, alright?"

Harry dismissed the class, excited about their easy homework task, the Gryffindors especially who had lunch, then the whole afternoon off.

"Maybe we could ask to see Zeke and his sister?" Peyton said, "I mean, I've never even _seen_ his family before, and he's met all mine - he stayed at mine Christmas first year. All of it."

Gil cringed. "I stay at school," He said, "except summer, I've begged McGonagall to let me stay at summer but she says no."

"Whats the orphanage like?" Teddy asked carefully, Gil shrugged.

"Shabby, small, really bad food." He said, "And a lot of the kids are nasty pieces of work, very clicky, I hate it."

"If Harry hadn't taken me in I'd be in an Orphanage." Teddy told him, "I think."

"Molly would have taken you Cub, or Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, or Uncle George," Harry said quietly, coming up behind the boys. "Are you allowed to visit during the summer, Gil?" He asked, Gil shook his head.

"Too much liability," he said sorrowfully.

Harry nodded in understanding.

"Well, off to lunch-"

"Actually, Harry," Teddy said quickly, "I mean, Professor Hare Bear," He corrected. "Would you ask Ezekiel's parents if we can come with him when he visits his sister?" Teddy gave Harry his best puppy dog eyes, which, because of his metamorphagai ability, were actually comically big and watery and baby blue. (Gil called him Puss in Boots for it but Teddy had no idea what he was on about.)

"No Ted," Harry said.

"But Zeke is always so sad when he comes back, sometimes for days!"

"Its a family thing, Teddy, that goes for the rest of you too."

The boys sighed defeated and the group followed their retreating professor into the Great Hall.

"I feel like shes my sister too," Teddy said, "I mean, we know so much about her." Gil agreed completely while Peyton shrugged.

"He doesn't talk about her much to me, or Walker."

"Well her name is Bethany," Teddy said, Peyton gave him a look that said 'I knew _that_.'

"She's four, and her favorite color is puce."

"Loves unicorns," Teddy added, Peyton nodded.

"Yeah, her birthday is March 7th, Ezekiel always gets her a plush unicorn."

The boys continued to talk about Bethany as they sat down and ate lunch.


	11. How do you spell Lycanthropy?

**This chapter is for Bazaloy; because he likes school.**

* * *

_Draco_

_I want to be apart of Sadie's life again, please._

_Harry_

Harry sent the short letter off with a school owl as soon as he wrote it or he might chicken out (Being head of Slytherin House for the past four years seemed to have knocked his courage down a peg.)

It was 5.30 a.m. on Friday morning and Harry began the long walk to the hospital wing, his mind on the conversation he overheard Teddy and his friends having about Bethany Van De Zee.

"Mr Van De Zee!"

"Yes," Ezekiel was dressed in his uniform and trying to leave.

"Sit _down, _why are you up so bloody early?"

"Calm down Madame Pom-Pom."

_"Your_ imagination and all you can come up with is Pom-Pom? I'm disappointed. Professor Potter?"

Harry nodded to her when they both turned to see him.

"A word, Ezekiel, if you would?" Harry said, Poppy thinned her lips but let him go, Ezekiel followed Harry out of the hospital wing.

"I was hoping you would tell me about your sister, Ezekiel? How is she?"

"She's been better," Ezekiel said, "We have Muggle doctors with her now, not much magic can do at this point. Dr. Iyer said we should make her comfortable as we can, just seeing how long she will live now."

"Dr. Iyer?" Harry asked.

"He's Indian," Ezekiel said, "Brings his son over sometimes too, Kamal, a year younger than me, but hes pretty awesome, you know, for a muggle."

"Come in here, Zeke, I'd like to speak with you."

Ezekiel followed Harry into the little sitting room off the side of his office, looking confused.

"I know," Harry said simply, "I helped ward the room before you-"

"I'm sorry, please don't hate me, I'll be better I promise. I won't tease you in class anymore I-"

"Ezekiel!" Harry said loudly but not unkindly. "Calm down," Harry put a hand on the shaking boys shoulder.

"I'm sorry-"

"Ezekiel, you have nothing to be sorry for, but I would like to talk to you about it."

"I'm sorry, I'm already so much trouble - Professor D'Amore has to brew the potion for me-"

"Ezekiel!" Harry snapped. "You do not need to be sorry, you've done nothing wrong!"

"I'm a werewolf!" The boy screamed at him, then slapped his hands over his mouth in horror.

"I'm aware," Harry said quietly, "I'm worried because you're going to very extreme measures to hide it when you don't have to."

"Teddy's afraid of werewolves," Ezekiel said.

"You didn't know that until recently, though." Harry pointed out, "What's made you so secretive?"

Ezekiel shrugged.

"I just don't like being different," He said.

"So visiting your terminally ill sister each month is making you normal?"

"Yes," He said.

"Now I'm a bit concerned that your sister-"

"She's not real," Ezekiel deadpanned.

"I know that," Harry said, "But I'm worried she will become real to you, to help you cope with your condition-"

"I'm fine," He said, "Everythings fine. Just stay out of it Professor Potter."

Ezekiel stood and left quickly and quietly, leaving Harry alone in the small sitting room.

"Damn kids," Harry muttered.

Harry went back into his classroom and cast some cleaning spells on the desks and chairs before heading to his own desk and shuffling some papers, he checked the clock ticking away on the back wall. "Quarter to six." Harry muttered. He opened his quill drawer and pulled out a not broken quill and his red ink, pulling the seventh years latest quiz towards him.

"Oh dear," Harry muttered marking one of the Hufflepuffs work. "A kneazle will not spit venom at you." he muttered putting a big red cross on the question. By the time he finished it was seven thirty and Harry stood to go to breakfast. He stood out of his chair and stretched, slipping his wand up his sleeve and heading towards the great hall. The post was delivered and Teddy's owl swept towards him, along with the School owl he sent to Malfoy and Pig.

Harry slipped open the envelope from Merwyn first, unfolding the paper and quickly reading the joke death threat about his nickname and laughing when Teddy suggested Penny as a nickname for Peyton.

He grabbed Pig's letter next, giving the little owl a piece of bacon which he grabbed and noisily enjoyed while hovering about Harry's head.

_Dear Harry,_

_Rose is turning 8 next week and were having a little party for her on Saturday, Would you and Teddy be able to come?_

_See you soon, _

_Hermione._

Harry stuffed the short letter in his pocket to answer during class, noticing Neville receive a similar one and turned to the school owl with Malfoy's reply.

Harry opened the envelope quickly, breaking the ornate seal and pulling out a sheaf of parchment almost as thick as his Hogwarts letter.

_no._

Harry stared at the single word on the massive piece of paper with unadulterated hatred.

"Damn you, Malfoy." He whispered, pushing away from his unfinished breakfast and stomping out of the hall.

Harry swung his office door open with such force it cracked dangerously, then he pulled the waste of parchment letter towards him and ripped a chunk off.

_Not even going to think about letting her see her other father?_

Harry left the letter on his desk and pulled the rest of Draco's waste of space letter towards him.

_Hermione,_

_Teddy and I would love to come that day, provided Teddy has no homeowrk, but I will be there. See you soon, say hi to Ron and the kids for me._

_Harry._

Harry place that one on top of the other and he picked up some chalk and wrote three words on the board.

_Control. Kill. Torture._

He walked to the window and cracked it open, letting out a long, low whistle.

Then Harry sat in his chair and waited for his fifth year class, Merwyn flew in the window just as the bell signalling the end of breakfast rung and Harry gave him the two short letters.

* * *

Ezekiel ignored the glances from his friends during that day, relieved he didn't have DADA today, he did have potions, and like after all of the full moons he couldn't look at Professor D'Amore; who brewed his potion for him.

The potion helped a lot, when he was younger he was locked in a cage in his family's basement and left alone for four or five days.

"Just to make sure the wolf was gone." His mother would tell him, while locking him in his cage two days before the full moon.

He understood, sure, he spent his childhood in a cage desperately wishing to eat his parents and eventually would turn on himself. The Wolfsbane potion stopped that - but he was still reliant on it, and that was scary. What if he missed a potion?

Aside from that, even with the Wolfsbane, transformations hurt. Everything felt like it was tearing and stretching and ripping, relocating. It was both unnerving and unpleasant and left him sore for days after. Like now.

Ezekiel his his wince as he slowly rose from the table with his friends and headed towards the dungeons.

Lauressa D'amore was a tall, very thin woman. Her hair was short and lank, her features sunken and skin sallow, but she smiled at them as they came in which softened her demeanor, and tapped the board with her wand where the work for today appeared.

"Shrinking Solution," Teddy said happily. "We should try and sneak some into Hagrid's clothes." He whispered to Ezekiel, leaning towards him.

Ezekeil, fully aware he smelt like wet dog, hid father reminded him after every full moon, least Teddy realized.

"I guess," He said. What if Harry tells Teddy? Would Harry do that? Teddy would tell everyone else, and then he would be thrown out, Like Teddy's dad had been when he was a Professor. Ezekiel gulped, ignoring Teddy who was setting up their things.

"Now!" D'Amour barked at them. "What happenens when you add too many rat spleens?" She asked looking around the room. One of the Max twins hands shot up. Maja, he guessed, Irene was a prat.

"If you add to many rat spleens the potion won't be the right consistency at the end, and won't be as effective, but if you don't get the leech juice right it becomes poisonous."

"Ten points to Slytherin! Good," D'Amour asked another question about the Shrivelfig, which Maja Max answered right again, and Teddy began peeling the before mentioned ingredient.

"Hows Bethany?" Teddy asked, "and how are you?"

Ezekiel was adjusting the fire with his wand, and he shrugged. "No better," He told Teddy, he did feel bad for lying, but it was necessary, "the Doctor said she probably won't be able to walk by the end of the year."

"That's no good," Teddy replied, "Are you okay?" He asked, Ezekiel nodded.

"'M fine, Teddy," He poured four measures of standard ingredient in the mortar and crushed it.

"Then this," Teddy dumped the rat spleen in the mortar, Ezekiel crushed it too.

"I hate potions," Teddy said happily, "are you going to drop it after O.W.L.S. too?"

"No," Ezekiel muttered, "I need to know how to brew potions, so I can brew my own."

"You drink a lot of potions?" Teddy asked sounding a little shocked.

"No!" Ezekiel knocked over the mortar in his haste to correct Teddy. "Ugh, no, just in case," He righted the mortar. "Its a useful skill."

"Zeke," Teddy said suspiciously. "What's going on?"

They both stopped their brewing and Ezekiel looked at his best friend. Then he vividly remembered the boggart-werewolf in their DADA class and Teddy's terrified expression, he hardened his resolve, and lied through his teeth.

"Bethany might not make it past Christmas," He said quietly, "I just-"

"Oh I'm sorry Zeke," Teddy looked at him with wide eyes and held his arm. "That's rough." he said, "And unfair, shes so young."

Ezekiel nodded sadly, he hated himself. So much.

The rest of the lesson was quiet for the two boys, they didn't melt their cauldron but they didn't do much better. D'Amour grumbled above them as she marked their work.

"Come see me after dinner to re-do this please," She told them. The two boys nodded glumly and packed up their things.

* * *

_The Knockback Jinx by Scorpius Malfoy._

_The Knockback Jinx, an orange or blue jinx cast using the incantation 'Filppendo'. It is considered a Jinx and not Hex due to its simple nature and cause of only__ minor discomfort to a victim. The Disarming Charm, Expeliarmus or Shield Conjuration, Protego are counter-jinx for this spell._

_The wand movement involves a 'v' or tick flick followed by a 'Scoop Superficialus' but prolonging the scoop will charge the jinx to a red-purple and it will become more powerful and harder to block, however, overcharging this spell causes exploding and backfire._

_Unfortunately, a case of backfire using the Knockback Jinx will cause more damage than casting it properly, for a more powerful Knockback Jinx the spell must be changed. _

_Flippendo Duo is a more advanced and more powerful version of the Knockback Jinx, it does more damage although is harder to cast, a step further is the Filppendo Tria spell which not only will do more damage, but also target multiple opponents - though is used less in dueling by adult wizards and more likely to get rid of ants if you step in their nest._

_For a more complex spell with the same end, the Stunning Spell (which is a Charm) Stupefy, is used. _

Harry set the parchment down. It was neat, neater than most of the first year's work, and written in ink, not pen or pencil, and it was _correct_. More correct than half his second years.

Harry picked up his own quill and dipped it in red ink, putting it on Scorpius' paper.

_Mr. Malfoy, this piece of writing is outstanding, well done. 10._

He then picked up a separate quill, which he loaded with black ink and wrote on a small square of parchment.

_Scorpius, as your head of house I want to congratulate you on your improvement in your school work and personal improvement, I'm very proud and encourage your resilience and determination brilliantly. 50 points to Slytherin._

_Professor H. Potter_

Harry put the parchment square on top of the essay neatly in the corner and pressed his wand where a staple would go, muttering a weak sticking charm, then he put Scorpius' essay aside and picked up Cecil Key's essay.

"Damn," Harry muttered, cracking out an extra vial of red ink and he began to fix that boy's spelling.


	12. Rose' Birthday Party

Harry paced frustrated in his quarters. Teddy had sent him another owl during dinner. He pulled the parchment out of his pocket and re-read the short note.

_Hare-Bear, I wanna talk, breaking curfew, won't see you tonight._

Harry paused in his pacing and waited, looked at the door to his dungeon quaters and then began pacing again.

There was a knock, and a creek, the front door opened and shut but no-one was there.

"Teddy?" Harry asked thickly, he didn't even notice how worried he was.

His thirteen year old godson pulled the invisibility cloak off of his head and stood in front of his godfather.

"Oh, Cub, come here." Harry darted forwards and pulled Teddy in close. Teddy wiped the tears of his cheeks angrily. "What's upset you?"

"Nothing," Teddy whimpered.

"Rubbish, you've kept your hair the same colour all day."

Teddy gave him a watery smile at that.

"It's Ezekiel's sister, she's going to die."

Harry sighed and pulled his godson over to the lounge.

"She's very sick," Harry said carefully. "And in a lot of pain, Ted. It might not be a bad thing."

"Harry!" Teddy said, now distraught.

"I didn't say it was good or fair," Harry said, "But people get sick, I'd do anything to be able to take the burden from Ezekiel's shoulders. Is he alright?"

"Worse than usual," Teddy said, "He didn't even crack a smile when I suggested shrinking Hagrid's clothes."

"Now Teddy," Harry reprimand, "It's very hard for Hagrid to find clothes that fit him."

"Fine," he said, cheered up a bit. "Can we play chess?"

"You beat me every time," Harry sighed, waving his hand so their chessboard flew to them. Teddy was always black, and as a result, the white pieces were all rather sour and crippled.

Harry's pieces groaned as they marched into place while Teddy's were either flexing or taunting their opponents.

"Knight to D4," Harry started with, watching the knight jump the line of pawns.

"Pawn to D4," Teddy said, his own pawn moving forward.

"We're doomed." Harry's king said bluntly, Harry rolled his eyes at his pessimistic chess piece while Teddy giggled.

Of course Teddy beat him spectacularly, his chess pieces were more slaughtered than usual and they left chess board to collect its dead and wounded and clean up their shattered limbs, Harry guided Teddy into his room in the head of Slytheirn's quarters and tucked him in.

"You sure it's okay I stay tonight?" He asked, Harry nodded.

"Of course cub, whenever you want, you know that."

"Harry?" Teddy asked, "what was my dad like?"

Harry smiled.

"Is this about the Boggart, cub?"

"Yeah I guess."

Harry sat down on the end of Teddy's bed and faced his godson.

"Have you always been afraid of Werewolves?" He asked, Teddy shook his head.

"When you told me what he was, I..."

"Cub?"

"I kept getting a nightmare, where I meet my parents and he turned into a werewolf like Raze and he would rip-"

"Who's Raze?"

"Oh, it was in a movie Uncle Ron showed me."

Harry shook his head.

"Your dad was the nicest man I knew, he really was." Harry paused. "He was a lot like you are now, kind, patient, a troublemaker. Back when your dad was a kid, people were really, really prejudiced against werewolves, he wasn't allowed to do any sort of formal schooling before Hogwarts. And he was the first werewolf to become a fully trained wizard."

Harry smiled at Teddy, "he was four when he was bitten, it was really rare for bite victims to put up with all the nasty people for so long. He hid it in school, but his friends and dorm mates found out pretty quick. My dad was one of them, James, and my godfather too, Sirius. So they illegally became animagi so they could spend the full moons with your dad. He was only dangerous when he was a wolf, that's all. He did growl in human form sometimes but only when he was scared for the people he loved. Or if you tried to take his Honey-Dukes finest."

"So werewolves aren't dangerous?" Teddy asked, Harry shook his head.

"The Wolfsbane potion makes them safe, but they are dangerous, but humans aren't, its only when they're wolves, and werewolves are really rare now, the last boy bitten was in 1998, just before the battle of Hogwarts, Fenrir Greyback attacked him because his parents renounced the Dark Lord. Fenrir was captured in the Battle of Hogwarts and was kissed in Azkaban."

"He's the last werewolf?" Teddy asked. Harry shook his head again.

"He's the most savage, and only because he's a savage man. He's the man who bit your dad."

Teddy nodded. "So dad wasn't a bad man because he was a werewolf?"

"Not at all cub."

"Is that why you call me cub? Because my dad is a wolf."

"My godfather used to call me cub, he was a dog animagus," Harry said, "and you're my Teddy bear."

"Harry!" Teddy cried indignantly, Harry cuddled Teddy to him, Teddy returned the hug tightly and laid back down in bed.

"Thanks Harry," he said quietly.

"I love you Ted, goodnight."

"Love you too Hare-Bear."

Harry grinned at his cheeky godson and left the room, waving his wand to extinguish the light.

Harry left the door open and headed to his own room, changing into his nightclothes and sitting on bed with a book and parchment.

He plucked the quill off of the bedside table and dipped it in ink, starting another letter.

_Draco, wanted to let you know I'll find a way to see my daughter, I can't let her grow up alone._

_H. Potter_

Harry tore the letter from the parchment leaving it on the bedside table for the morning and re-loaded his quill for the second letter.

_Mr. Van De Zee,_

_Even though you don't need to hide your furry little problem, I want you to know your professors and friends are here to help you through it._

_My office is always open, for anything. _

_Professor Hare-Bear. DADA. _

Harry gave the parchment a tight smile and put it next to his letter for Malfoy, extinguishing his bedside candle and laying down, flicking his glasses off his nose and on top of the book.

Ezekiel will be fine. Harry thought as he drifted off to sleep. Teddy will be too. Harry will get to be apart of Sadie's life eventually.

It was Rose's birthday Saturday, and Harry briskly walked up to the owlery to deliver his two little notes, and the long letter he wrote to his legal witch about Sadie's case. He used a school owl, Merwyn probably still at the Weasley's, then Harry headed back into the school to make sure everything was all set so he would be able to leave today.

Teddy was standing in Harry's office with a large wrapped up package, Harry just finished writing the notice of absence for his office door and the Slytherin common room notice board before he gave Teddy the floo powder.

"Arden House, Barnt Green!" Teddy cried and was whipped away by the floo, Harry followed close behind and they stepped out into Hermione and Ron's lounge.

Arden House was a large house, from the outside Harry's first impression was 'stripy and pointy' being the eloquent man he is. It really was lovely, Hermione insisted on having a muggle/wizard home and it actually bothered Harry a bit, not only because the appliances spoke to him when he walked past but because it was unnerving seeing the things he associated with the Dursley surrounded by so much magic. He had to admit it was nice being able to watch TV though.

There were white and aqua streamers hanging from the ceiling and baloons on the floor. Music was playing somewhere in the house. Harry walked past the guestroom and formal lounge to the back of the house where there was an open plan sitting and dining room. Hermione was decorating an owl cake, a real owl sitting in a free standing cage next to the 'comfy red lounge' as Ron called their squishy two seater informal lounge. Ron was sitting on the Red Squishy lounge, four year old Hugo asleep in his lap.

"Harry, Teddy!"

"Hello Aunt Hermione!" Teddy ran forward and hugged Hermione, who smiled and hugged him back.

"Hello Teddy," Hermione greeted the boy. "Rose!" She called.

Harry sat on a stool at the breakfast bar as Rose came in from outside. Teddy handed her her present and she thanked him, both kids running outside.

"She didn't say hello to you." Hermione said, putting down the icing-covered spoon and stepping around the bench.

"Leave her Hermione," Harry told his friend, "She's excited, and she'll realise her mistake when it registers I'm here too."

Hermione laughed at him, resuming her decorating of the owl cake. "Teddy's so good with the younger kids," She commented.

"Hermione, are there Muggle kids here?" Harry asked her, she nodded nonchalauntly.

"Yea Rose's friends from school -"

Harry didn't let her finish, but jumped back from the breakfast bar so quickly the stool clattered to the ground, he yanked open the screen door and ran into the yard.

""Teddy!" He yelled, spotting the black haired boy among the younger kids. Teddy looked at him like he was crazy but came over anyway.

"Yes _dad_?" Teddy asked, Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're such a smart kid," He said, ruffling Teddy's hair.

Harry left the kids and went back inside, Hermione was now putting long strings of black licorice around the edges of the cake. Ron and Hugo were no longer on the lounge.

"Everything okay?" Hermione said with a little giggle.

"Yeah," Harry told her, "Just wanted to make sure Teddy didn't break the Statue of Secrecy."

"Oh!" Hermione cried, glancing out the window, "I'm so sorry, I didn't even think of that!"

Harry waved her concern away. "Don't worry about it, John, one of the obliviators I was friends with when I was an Auror, gave me his personal contact, the amount of times I needed to take Teddy into muggle London, just to avoid the press, and you know what he was like when he was younger?"

"Yeah, he had trouble sticking to a colour."

Harry nodded, "It was pretty funny. God muggles are stupid."

"He's in his 'Muggle face' now isn't he?" Hermione asked, ignoring Harry's comment about Muggles. Harry nodded.

"Calls me dad when he does that too, just less explaining to do." Harry told her, Hermione nodded.

"I don't understand why you didn't let him call you dad from when he was a baby," she shook her head. Just then, Ron came out with Hugo behind him.

"Uncle Harry!" Hugo leapt for Harry, giving him a wet kiss. The little boy was a spitting image of Bill, with Ron's eyes and Hermione's hair texture (but he was Weasley red too).

"Hello Little Ginger," Harry said, letting go of the squirming child as Hugo spotted the jumping castle out the back.

"Cousin Teddy's here too, Hugo," Hermione told the boy, making his face split in too in a massive grin.

"Hey Harry," Ron said as Hugo grabbed his hand and dragged him out the back.

"I wish you wouldn't call him that." Harmione scolded, Harry replied, the picture of innocence.

"Little Ginger?" He shook his head seriously. "Hermione, having a natural defense against dementors is _nothing _to be ashamed of-"

Hermione hit him with her cake-book. "Gingers have souls," She defended seriously, then laughed with him "Anyway," Hermione continued, "I remember he used to call you dad."

"Oh, Teddy, yeah, well when he first called me dad he was still with Andy," Harry told her, "God you shoud've seen her face."

"She was upset?" Hermione asked, Harry shook his head.

"Nah, She tried to glare me to death. Absolute hatred, betrayal. I don't know what was going through her mind but Merlin!"

"You never told us!" Hermione said, almost dropping her new piping bag in the cake.

"Well at first I told him his real mum and dad were dead, they were killed by a bad man - you know," Harry said, Hermione nodded. "When he was older I told him, well Andy told him I wasn't even family, rally harsh, you know, and he asked me about it, he was two... about that, just before she died, So I told him you know, a bit of the story. He asked me what I should call him, Dad or Harry."

"You told him Harry?"

"Broke his heart," Harry said sadly. "But just, Andromeda would've held a grudge, and I can't... I can't _replace_ Remus like that."

"You know, when I've gone to Muggle London with you and Teddy he calls you dad and you get this happy look on your face all day, he does too. I think it's not replacing Remus, you're looking after his son, like he was your own, and I think Teddy likes to forget hes-"

"An orphan?"

"Yes, just for a little while."

"I guess," Harry said, "I'll think about it."

Hermione gave him a look.

"I'll ask Teddy too!"

"Right," Hermione picked up the cake and slid it in the fridge, then she pulled out serving bolws and packets of lollies. "Go and save Ron," She told him, "I'll be out in a second."

Harry smiled and made his way back outside, where the nine year olds and Teddy were attacking Ron in the jumping castle, Ron throwing them against the walls.

"GET THE CHOSEN ONE!" Ron screamed, the wizarding children laughed while the Muggle children paid the name no mind, and Harry had a small army of small children jump on him.


	13. Daily Prophet Report, August 2008

A/N How many are there?

Thirty six, counted them myself!

(This is how I celebrate 36 people following this story, hope I don't disappoint.)

_**Harry Potter, not such a normal boy.**_

_We assumed Mr. Potter had a plain type of childhood being raised away from magic, but that's not the case. After the rude and incorrect smear campaign against him last weekend, I've decided to look into his childhood at the hands of his loving relatives._

_Mr. Dursley, Mr. Potter's cousin grew up alongside Harry, and was regretful to admit he spent many long days tormenting young Mr. Potter._

_"My parents weren't good to him," Mr. Dursley admitted, "neither was I, we were afraid of him, see, of his magic."_

_Indeed Mr. Dursley was very forthcoming in his retelling of Mr. Potter's time growing up. Mr. Potter was not allowed to do better than Dudley at muggle school, or was he even allowed to say the word magic let alone practice his own like many magical children do. This only became worse once he began Hogwarts. Harry's trunk, books, wand and clothes were locked in a cupboard and his owl was locked in her cage._

_For any cases of accidental magic, which happened when he was being chased by Mr. Dursley and his friends or when he was forced into hand-me down clothes that would have only increased the bullying he suffered at muggle school, when his aunt shaved his head; but his fringe. He was severely punished for these truly accidental cases of magic, being locked in his bedroom and not fed for days._

_"He didn't really have a room," Mr. Dursley told the press, "not till his letter came, addressed to Mr. H. Potter, the cupboard under the stairs, mum and dad kept him there, and I got two rooms, and a spare room for Aunt Marge when she came. Anyway the letter came and mum was so embarrassed people knew she kept him in the cupboard they gave him my second bedroom."_

_It seemed as though, regardless of having the means to provide for the boy, Harry was neglected, quite badly by his relatives and was put down and discouraged at every opportunity._

_"He was four when he learnt his name, Dad didn't care but Mum noticed he referred to himself as Freak or Boy all the time, and she had to actually teach him that his name is Harry."_

_As the horrendous tales of Mr. Potter's childhood continued, I must admit fearing what more would be discolsed. Mr. Dursley was very regretful about his own participation in his cousins abuse, but readily said his parents did the real damage._

_"They didn't hit him when he was little, Dad struck out with the paper sometimes, I suppose having a four year old clean isn't really right anyway, when he turned ten Mum made him cook, and I'm pretty sure dad used to push him into the burners when no one was looking."_

_After this I stopped Mr. Dursley for a moment. Asking him what he meant by they didn't hit Harry when he was little._

_"After he began school, when he came home in the summer, well for the first year it was fine, we didn't know he couldn't use magic, but after the cake hitting that lady in the face at dad's little dinner party, well, the letter that screamed at him told us all he couldn't use magic outside of school. Dad struck him a lot more, usually whacking him over the back of the head, at least in front of us. I didn't notice anything till he saved me from d-d-dementors? Yeah, thats what they were called, anyway, when I was fifteen he saved me from the dementors, and I sort of stopped hating him so much, the summer after that I noticed he seemed a lot more hurt than just the whack to the back of the head, well turns out Dad was punching him in the stomach too, he was doing all the housework with four broken ribs. After that, well he was seventeen, we didn't think we'd see him again."_

_Mr. Dursley, by this point, was quite teary._

_"I wrote to him, I knew Mrs Figg was magical and asked her how to contact him. I just, I didn't want to leave it like that. I grew up, and, well my wife, she was my fiancee at the time came to me in tears one day and told me she was a witch, god she was scared. I looked at her and laughed, and she said 'I know its unbeleivable, Dudley, but' I was shaking my head, and I just said to her, 'Harry Potter's my cousin.' I never realised how famous he really was, she screamed like a little girl and asked me if she could meet him- anyway, my wife really helped me get over my I dunno, mental block, when it came to Harry. I tried to reach out to him, I really did I just couldn't."_

_Mr. Dursley told me his mother and father weren't supposed to be there that day, when Harry came to meet him._

_"It was going great, god, my wife was so excited to see him, Harry, I just told him I was sorry, that I was scared. He was uncomfortable at first, up until I offered him pumpkin juice and told my wife to summon the good table cloth. God he laughed and just hugged me! After all we've been through, he hugged me. Mum and Dad came in for a surprise visit. Mum looked like she'd seen a ghost, Dad - he lost it. He tried to attack Harry, I stepped between them, and Dad got me instead, he didn't stop - and my dad, you have to understand is a bloody big man, Harry sort of fell, and dropped his wand. My wife was screaming. and there was this crack._

_She stunned Vernon, and Mum came to Harry, Thelma- that's my wife, by the way - she told mum to stay away._

_Well Mum reached out to Harry and he flinched and there was a flash, and like, a shockwave._

_The walls were blown away and the roof fell on mum, I had grabbed Thelma and pulled her into the hall. I couldn't see anything, all I really remember after that was yelling until the hospital after. I haven't seen Harry since, but I think he was at the funeral, just, something Harry would do. I wrote to him, told him it was Dad's fault. It would have never happened if they had been good to him when he was little, if they had just accepted magic."_

_Mr. Dursley had a certain look, one we, as wizards an witches have all worn - the look a first year gets when they see the castle, or the look on a child's face when Mummy or daddy made coloured sparks com from their wand._

_Mr. Potter was not found responsible for his Aunt's death, but was required to undergo a very thourough course with a mind healer._

_Not only did the healers reveal that Mr. Potter's magic is juvenile and underdeveloped due to its repression when he was younger, but his ability to succeed, and his mental health was severely affected._

_I'd like to give you with a statement from Mr. Dursley; "Harry, I, from what little I know about him, I know he's a good person. If he would see me again... I'd like that. He is my family, after all."_

_Harry has been through a lot, not just in his childhood, but during and after his Hogwarts year as well, and now he risks his life every day for the Wizarding World, he is not just the Chosen One, he's a good man as well._


	14. The Army of First Years

After Ron's back gave out and Hermione brought out lunch the adults were allowed to sit and chat, away from the children. Ron had a sleepy Hugo on his lap again. Hugo was fiddling with Hermione's necklace, His eyes very, very droopy.

"I'm going to try to make Draco let me see Sadie," Harry announced quietly, Hermione gave him a worried look while Ron grimaced.

"Harry, there's nothing you can do." Hermione told him. "I've already looked at it, you know that."

"It's so unfair," Harry said, "We did all the tests, she's my daughter too."

"Harry, I hate to put it like this, but you're lucky you didn't lose your daughter. In the Muggle world you and Ginny would have had a stillbirth, end of story."

"I can't... I have to try."

"Aright mate," Ron said, "I'll help too."

After the party Harry dropped Teddy back at Hogwarts before heading straight to the Ministry building. He went straight to the Auror headquarters where he was welcomed by his former colleges.

"Harry, what can I do for you?"

"I'm ugh, this is a bit personal." Harry told Head Auror Borchard. Borchard was a massive bloke, very tall and muscular. He had stringy grey hair and a thick beard. Harry followed Borchard into his office.

"You know my ex-wife and I lost our baby nine years ago?" Harry asked. Borchard nodded solemly. "Well we didn't, She was _Magia Puer dimidiam,_" Harry explained to the shocked Auror.

"You should know there's still nothing we can do for you Harry," Borchard told him in his gruff German accent.

"I know Auror Borchard," Harry said, Borchard held up a hand.

"Call me Wibke, Harry," He requested.

"Right, Wibke," Harry said, testing out the foreign name. "Well, the thing is that Astoria; Sadie's mother, requested that I be apart of her life."

"It doesn't change much. Did Mr. Malfoy ever say that?"

Harry shook his head. "We were like friends, before the accident though, and I tried so hard to not sever ties afterwards but he just-"

"Yeah," Wibke said, "I understand that. Look, its hard, because Mrs. Malfoy wasn't the actual mother, though because the child was born to the Malfoy's, legally she is their child. I'll talk to Rayleen Collins about it, shes an unspeakable, very well versed in law though, and might know something about the _Magia Puer dimidiam_ too."

"Thank you, Wibke," Harry told the man, who nodded.

"How's Professoring going for you, Potter, you know you were the best?" He asked, Harry shrugged.

"I like teaching, just as exciting half as dangerous," He said, "After Voldemort I didn't want to fight anymore."

"I hear that," Wibke said, "You know they would've made you Head Auror in the next two years if you didn't leave?"

"Really?" Harry asked, he wouldn't have been 30 yet.

"Youngest head Auror ever, It's in the ministry records, they never expected you to resign when you did."

Harry shrugged. "I'm happier where I am now, Neville too."

"Longbottom, yes, he was a bloody good Auror too. You're both still on call for extreme emergency aren't you?"

"Yeah," Harry confirmed, "like Alistor had been - we didn't really resign."

"Good," Wibke stated, "If we can get Weasley to come back and finish his training, and you and Longbottom back, well look out Dark wizards." Wibke said with a seedy wink. "Anyway Harry, I'll look into it for you and send you what I find."

"Thanks Wibke," Harry said sincerely. The German man just nodded.

Harry left the Auror office and headded straight back to Hogwarts where he needed to check on Scorpius and Ezekiel.

"Castor?" Harry called. A house elf, who was quite tall for a house elf with Large green eyes and skin that was almost blue-grey popped in front of Harry in a deep bow.

"Professors Potter Sir, whats can Castor do for you Sir?" the elf asked in his squeaky voice.

"Could you get a message to Mr. Malfoy and Mr Van De Zee for me, that I'd like to see them at seven and eight o'clock tonight."

"Castor is happy to do this for Professor Potter Sir."

"Thank you Castor," Harry said as the elf popped away. Harry yawned and ran a hand through his hair, then picked up the practice essay Mr. Engman had left for him and began reading until he was scheduled to meet Scorpius.

Scorpius was five minutes early, thank God, because Mo Engman was a horribly boring and lengthy writer and Harry happily pushed the parchment away.

"Hello Scorpius," Harry said kindly.

"Hello Professor H-Hmm. Potter."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"Say it." He commanded, Scorpius looked terrified, but smiled shakily.

"Professor Hare-Bear."

Harry mock glared at the boy. "You know what this means, Scorpius?" Harry asked seriously. "I'll _have_ to refer to you as Adorable Scorpion form now on."

Scorpius giggled.

"But seriously, Scorpius, I wanted to ask how you've been going, since the accident in the Hallway?"

Scorpius dropped his smile quickly at that.

"Alright, I guess."

"Have you made any friends?" Harry asked and Scorpius shook his head, "Right, and are Mr. Rosier and Miss Max still being mean to you?" He asked.

"No," Scorpius said meekly, "I think they're scared."

Harry nodded.

"That's good, they shouldn't have picked on you like that, that's why you weren't punished, alright? Standing up for yourself is a good thing."

Again Scorpius only nodded.

"How are you feeling about your Mother?" Harry finally asked, Scorpius' bottom lip wobbled a bit.

"Ok, I guess. Father took me to see her when I went home the other week."

"Have you cried about it? Spoken to someone?" Scorpius nodded. "Good," Harry told him, "I want you to remember to never leave things bottled up, alright?" Another nod.

"Now, what's the trouble with the rest of your classmates?" Harry asked him.

"I just, I'm not sure they'll like me," Scorpius admitted, "I'm not sure how to act around them."

Harry thought about it for a minute.

"I'd like to try something," He told Scorpius, before calling, "Castor!"

With a crack the young elf appeared in the room and again bowed low to Harry.

"Professor Potter?"

"Would you send Misses Max, Mr. Montague, Mr. Rosier, Mr. Key, Mr. Mulciber, Miss Vane, Miss Belbey, and Miss O'Leery, please?"

The elf bowed in acknowledgement and popped out of the room.

"Right," Harry clapped his hands once, "Scorpius, would you stand?"

Scorpius stood, and Harry drew his wand, pushing his own desk to the wall in his office and conjuring 12 comfortable but simple red armchairs into a circle.

"Mr. Malfoy," Harry said offering the boy a seat and taking one himself. Just as they were settled the Max sisters; identicle twins Irene and Maja walked in, closely followed by Fenton, Jules and Myron. Once all of his first years were present, Harry clapped his hands together and smiled at them.

"You're not in trouble," He opened with. "But I'm not impressed. Already we've had a serious case of bullying, and don't think I've not noticed Messrs Malfoy and Mulciber and Miss O'Leery being left out by the rest of you."

There was a pause as the children squirmed.

"Don't think I don't know what its like being a first year, and a first year Slytherin group need to stick together more than any other."

"They think we're evil," Cecil Key said in his squeaky little voice. Harry nodded.

"I know," He told them, "House prejudice was even worse when I was a student. I'm dissapointed that you're not showing enough pride in your house to stick together. So, we're going to play a game."

Harry led the Students into his classroom and moved the desks away from the walls, then he conjured a large rope and left it in the center of the floor.

"Ok," Harry said, conjuring 11 blindfolds. "Everyone put on a blindfold, and you have to make the rope into a square."

They looked confused. So he gave them a pointed look.

"You have ten minutes!"

Harry openly laughed at the blind first years as they tried to complete the task, of course it looked nothing like a square, but they were all laughing and yelling and 'bonding.'

Harry kept an eye on the time, and when the ten minutes were up, made them look at their Square. there were many groans followed by chuckles. With a flick of his wrist the rope was replaced by two five galleon buckets.

"Now, I want to see how many of you can get off the floor at once."

They looked at him like he was crazy, so he eased their fears by grinning and casting a cushioning charm.

Again laughter ensued and while Cecil and Feyton were laying on top on one another on the bucket, Irene and Jules were complaining from the floor, Scorpius was standing on Feyton's back and Emily and Elodie were watching with unimpressed expressions, Ezekiel walked in.

"Hello Geeky Zekie." Harry greeted the boy happily.

"Professor..." Zeke said, looking between Harry and the first year Slytherin's with a concerned expression.

"Alright kids," Harry said to his first years. "Here's one for you to practice for the same time next week, you all have to sit on the floor, and stand up without using hands."

Again they gave him imploring facial expressions regarding his own mental welfare, but the large group of children left as a single, happy group.

"Team building exercise," Harry explained to the Gryffindor third year. "Want my little army of firsties to be an unstoppable force."

Ezekiel cracked a smile. Harry remembered a long time ago when he wanted to be a feared, propper and respected teacher like McGonagall and Dumbledore. Instead he was more of a Remus cross Hagrid kind of teacher...

"Alright, Mr. Van De Zee," Harry said, sitting in another conjured armchair and conjuring another for Ezekiel. "I want to ask about your family life?"

Ezekiel shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"I'd rather not," He said.

"Your family don't like werewolves?" Harry asked, the boy shook his head. "You know you were the most recently bitten person?" Harry asked him. Ezekiel nodded.

"Will you tell me about how you were bitten?" Harry asked, Ezekiel looked unsure. "Zeke, remember I'm Harry Potter, there's nothing you can say that will upset me, specially about Voldemort. And I'm looking to help you, not get anyone in trouble. I promise. Hare-Bear to Geeky Zeekie."

The thirteen year old cracked a smile at that. "My parents are Dutch," He began, "So they weren't ever actively recruited, but they were blood supremacists, and when they heard about the Muggle Born Registration Commission, they liked the idea, wanted to live in a muggle-born free world. My Dad met Lucius Malfoy and Delores Umbridge at the Ministry, and two days after, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback were on their doorstep.

"They invited mum and dad to 'join the cause,' and my father refused, then they just left, but when the next full moon came around... Mother and Father were attacked, and Fenrir Greyback got into my room, he was on Wolfsbane potion." Ezekiel paused, pulling up the left sleeve of his school robe.

On his forearm was a bite mark, massive, like Harry's own Basilisk-fang scar. There was just one large circle, with two others, slightly smaller, either side. "I wasn't even a year old," Ezekiel said, "It broke my arm," he flipped his arm, where a 'V' scar was shiny and white on the skin. "That's where the bone went through."

"How did your parents take it?" Harry asked him. Ezekiel shrugged.

"How you would expect two haughty blood purists to take it. They left me locked in the room for four days."

"You know that was wrong of them," He stopped the boy before he could answer. "Werewolf or not."

"I'm dangerous."

"Not if looked after properly, Professor McGonagall was so sure of that she let you come to school. Hey? Stay in the school, and you're not the first werewolf to come to school either."

"Doesn't matter, I'm dangerous. I can't rely on the potion."

"You're only dangerous during the full moon." Harry said kindly, "and even then, steps can be taken."

"I'm going to hurt someone," Ezekiel said, "And I'd never be able to live with myself. God I don't even want to know what my parents would do-"

"Ezekiel, you won't hurt anyone," Harry told him, "You're safe here." Ezekiel just nodded his head sadly. "What your parents have told you about werewolves is untrue. Those misconceptions come from people like Greyback, who was a savage person before he was bitten."

"Most werewolves are angry and dangerous, they live in packs in the forests." Ezekiel muttered.

"No," Harry said, "Werewolves tend to be angry and isolated because everybody else forces that on them. You know you remind me a lot of my godfather, yes," Harry said, "Sirius Black."

"He was the black sheep - no pun intended - in the Black family, all of them were blood supremacists, the Malfoys, the Lestranges, Crabbe, Goyle, all apart of the Black family. Biggest pureblood family in Britian - they're all dead now, though. He was brave and full of mischief and a bit of a bully too, something you're not. But he was overall a good man, and you know why he died?" Harry asked, Ezekiel shook his head.

"Hot-headed, rushing into things, he was cocky and, ironically took nothing seriously. But he was coming to save _me." _Harry gave Ezekiel an imploring look. "You're a better person than you think, than even your family, and being a werewolf doesn't change that you're above petty blood predjduce, and you're above the werewolf curse and you are training to be a wizard and have friends and do great at school. Ezekiel, you're stronger for being a werewolf too, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. I know for a fact that all of Gryffindor house won't bat an eyelid at it."

"Teddy-"

"Teddy's fear is irrational, because his father was a werewolf and his subconscious associated muggle portrayal of them with his family."

"Teddy's dad was a werewolf?"

"He was," Harry said, "And Remus, Teddy's father, was _exactly_ like Teddy, perhaps with a stronger sense of adhering to the rules. He was also the only other Werewolf to get a formal education."

"Wow," Ezekiel said, he still looked a little doubtful, but Harry guessed it was the very first time someone had sat the boy down and told him he was _not_ a monster. And Harry said that next.

"You're not a monster Zeke."

"Thank-you, Professor," Ezekiel said standing. "May I go now?"

Harry nodded and the boy left.


	15. Christmas is a Time for Family

_A/N; Just a quick thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites for this story, its now competing with This is War for my most popular story!  
It's also been put in a community! Thanks to Sakura Lisel for adding this to there __Forsaken Destiny Forsaken Fate C2. Anyway enjoy this chapter._

* * *

Harry gulped, his hands clutching the letters were shaking, he filpped to the first one.

_Harry, I don't know what happened, I'm sorry._

_Wibke._

Then he looked at the second.

_Potter, awfully smug of you, assuming that, hmmm?_

and finally the third.

_Professor H. Potter,_

_Here in the department of Magical law enforcement we have received multiple complaints about your continued harrasment of Sadie Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy, speaking on his daughters behalf, has reported that not only have you sent him a number of threatening letters, viewed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but also entered their home uninvited to take the child._

_Mr. Malfoy has acknowledged you're technical blood status regarding the child (as the father of her magical core) however, Miss Malfoy is Mr. Malfoy's daughter and, as such, you have no right to her._

_Any further communication is to go through the Department, if the offences persist, you will be labaled an unfit career and sentanced to house arrest._

_Good day,_

_Zeljka Milkovanavic, Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Member of the Wizengamot_

Harry set the parchment down.

He couldn't just, leave Sadie.

_if the offences persist, you will be labaled an unfit career and sentanced to house arrest._

That meant no job, no Sadie and no Teddy.

Harry pulled out a leaf of parchment and began writing.

_Mr. Malfoy, _

_I'm sorry you've found this action nesicarry, I never intended to take Sadie from you, I wanted to be apart of my daughter's life again. I apologise for the inconvenience this has caused you, and wish you the very best for the future._

_I have a single request, that Sadie be told the truth, and that I may send her birthday and christmas presents, and that's the end of it, I will not contact you anymore than profesional parent-professor contact where nesicarry._

_Thank you for your time, I wish Sadie the very best._

_Regaurds. Harry Potter._

Harry set his quill down. He could chose between his life now, or a stab at having Sadie in it too, and he was not as Gryffindor as he had been, Harry loved Teddy too much to do that to him. To even risk it.

Harry blew on the ink so it would dry and rolled up the parchment, slipping a ribon around the scroll and calling Merwyn.

The bird swooped down from his place on the bookshelf at the side of the office and hooted when Harry gave him the scroll.

"For Zeljka Milkovanavic," He told the bird sternly, and it hooted and swept out the open window.

Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"I'm sorry Sadie," he whispered. Then he stood, stretched and went to find Teddy.

* * *

"Do I have to go?" Teddy asked, Harry sighed.

"If you don't come, you have to write, alright?"

Teddy nodded, and Harry gave him a kiss on the top of the head.

"Alright, I'll see you tonight Teddy." Harry stretched before spinning on his heel and heading towards the main gate.

The walk to Hogsmeade was quite, and Harry apreciated the scilence. The appartaion was unplesant but he got through it in one piece. Finally was the Appiration from London to Essex and finally he took a train into Frinton.

The house was a semidetached cottage-style two bedroom house. The door and windowframes were green while the walls were quite dark ochre bricks and the roof was brown. He knocked twice on the door, which was immediately followed by a shout of "Harry's here!" and a thump, a laugh and the door cracked open.

"Thelma!" Harry greeted the woman, she was quite tall but thin, her hair painfully orange and long, with a harsh fringe which suited her face quite well. She smiled at him, letting him into the slim hallway.

"How are you Harry?" She asked, "Come in, no Teddy? we're really the boring Aunt and Uncle aren't we?" Thelma asked.

Harry followed her down the hall into the kitchen, noticing moving boxes stacked high in the living room on his way through.

"You're moving? Harry asked the red-haired witch. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'll tell you why in a second. DUDLEY!" Thelma screamed up the stairs on her way past.

"I'm here!" Dudley poked his no-longer fat face around the corner where the kitchen was. "How are you Harry? Jesus woman, got some lungs on you!"

Thelma gave Dudley a look as he retreated into the kitchen where a plate of party pies and tea was set out.

"Two sugars and milk right Harry? How's Teddy?"

Harry nodded, "He's good, I made him promise to write you."

"I'm pregnant!" Thelma said suddenly, Harry looked at her.

"Congradulations!" Harry said happily to both of the expectant parents. Dudley's face broke out in a large grin.

"We have a wager if they'll be magical or not." Dudley told him. "She's hoping we get a muggle, I want a witch."

Harry smiled at them. "I'll never understand your muggle thing," He told Thelma, "Magic's awesome."

Dudley grumbled.

"Dangerous more like, bloody Dark Lords and all that tosh, but it is awesome," He passed Harry his tea. Harry thanked him and sat down at the table.

"Not anymore thanks," Harry said. "I'll not have another Dark Lord while I'm alive."

"You're a teacher now anyway," Dudley reminded him, "Teachers don't fight Dark Lords."

The conversation then went to Vernon, Thelma's pregnancy, Teddy, Harry's work, Dudley's work (he was a lawyer), Dudley's new car, their new house, Harry's love life (or lack thereof) and finally Harry stood, shook hands with Dudley, shook hands with Thelma, offered his assistance with their move in two weeks and left; going back to Hogwarts.

* * *

It was a week before the Christmas Holidays, Harry giving Teddy the choice to stay or go, inviting both Gil and Ezekiel, and Peyton and Walker too. Only three of the boys came. Harry was careful to get the Wolfsbane from Lauressa for Ezekiel and signing a pile of liability paperwork from the muggle orphanage Gil was living in. Harry left Teddy to catch the train with his friends and flooed directly to Grimmauld place.

"Kreacher has everything ready for master."

"Thank-you, Kreature," Harry thanked the bowing old elf and set about 'neatening' things as well as warding Ezekiel's room special for his furry little problem. More for Ezekiel's peace of mind really.

At seven o'clock, Harry apparated to Diagon Alley in muggle clothes, leaving the Leakey Caludron and catching a taxi to Kings Cross. He brought three trolleys with him onto the platform and stood waiting for the Hogwarts Express to pull into the station.

"Hey. Potter," Harry rolled his eyes at Malfoy's childish call and turned to the other man with an eyebrow raised. "You backed down pretty easily, all your Gryffindor gone, is it?"

Malfoy held Sadie's hand in his own, the little girl looking at him with big silver eyes.

"Sadie," He said formally, "This is Professor Potter, he is one of your brother's teachers."

"Miss Malfoy," Harry greeted the little girl kindly, kneeling down to shake her hand. Ignoring the big git Malfoy.

She reached out her own hand tentavely, when she touched his skin his magic responded with an overwhelming urge to protect her - to not let her out of his sight.

"This is the man who gave me my Magic?" Sadie asked her father. Malfoy nodded. "You're my dad," Sadie asked him. Harry nodded.

"I am."

Again Sadie glanced at Malfoy, then back to Harry, then she sighed and fell quiet.

"You may send your little gifts," Malfoy said, "and she knows the truth. Satisfied?"

"No," Harry shot back, then proceeded to ignore the git.

"Potter, I'm speaking to you-"

"We were almost friends, once, Malfoy." Harry shot back without looking at Sadie, least he actually steal her away. "Now, we are not. Leave me be."

Malfoy sneered, reminisant of his school years, and then left, dragging Sadie behind him.

Harry rolled his eyes and continued waiting for the train.

At the scarlet steam engine pulled into the platform a pale dark haired man and his wife, who had dark skin and hair, both with very haughty expressions on their faces approached him.

"Mr. Potter?" the man asked with a slight accent, Harry turned to the couple, extending his hand.

"Yes, you are?"

"I'm Piet Van De Zee and this is my wife Ursula."

"Ezekiel's parents?" Harry asked to confirm. They nodded.

"We wish to take him home for Christmas." Ursula told him, "His sister is ill."

Harry refrained from rolling his eyes.

"As Ezekiel's teacher I was made aware of his condition when he bagan school."

The couple looked affronted. "No one was supposed to know but the Headmistress, now we find out the whole faculty is aware?"

"Mrs Van De Zee," Harry addressed the distressed pureblood. "I assure you not all the faculty were told, the Headmistress knows, Ezekiel's head of house, the school nurse, the potions professor and myself are the only people aware of your son's condition. If you're to have him at home this holiday, I suggest talking to him about it, make sure he understands its not his fault and hes not a monster-"

Piet waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes," he shrugged, "I don't need to be told how to raise my son. I suppose you were told because you're the great Harry Potter? I'm not happy that so many people know about his curse."

Harry had to try very hard not to roll his eyes this time.

"The headmistress, the Nurse and Professor Longbottom were told for obvious reasons. Professor D'Amore, the Potions master, needed to know becasue she is responcible for brewing the Wolfsbane potion every month. I was made aware because I am able to do Ministry regulated wards to ensure his containment for each night the full moon is up."

"Keep your voice _down_!" Mrs Van De Zee hissed. Harry really did roll his eyes this time.

"I'm not here in an official capacity," Harry announced, "If you'd like to discuss this with me later, you may make an appointment at the school, or with the school governors at the Ministry of Magic. As Teddy's father," Harry continued, "I hope Ezekiel will be able to visit over Christmas."

They boys were dissapointed when Ezekiel's parents intercepted them on the way to see Harry, Harry waved to the werewolf as he left. Ezekiel waved at them all happily, and Harry followed Teddy and Gil through the platform.

"Muggles, Ted," Harry reminded the boy, who was already wearing his 'Muggle face' and who rolled his eyes.

"Yes dad," He chanted sarcastically. Gil smiled at them sadly and the three went to the street where Harry led them down a quiet side street and descreetley held out his wand to call the night bus.

He levitated the boys trunks onto the bus paying the conductor and saying "Grimmauld Place."

Teddy, like always insisted on going to the top floor and looking out the window, Harry kept his head between his knees, resisting the urge to vomit while Gil looked totally unphased.

Harry sent the boys into the house while he went downstairs and back out onto the street. Walking the short distance to the local Pizza Spot and ordering two large pizza's.

Teddy watched Harry leave the house, the dark figure visible on the moonlit street.

"Why did they say he couldn't visit again?" Gil asked, Teddy shrugged, "Something about Christmas is a time for family?"

"Yeah," Teddy replied, "But we know his family hate him. Lock him away and don't feed him."

"I can't believe a family would do that," Gil said.

"You've heard him talk about his life at home, besides the same thing happened to Harry."

"Are you sure about this?" Gil asked, Teddy handed him the invisibility cloak and picked the Floo powder off the mantle.

"Yep," Teddy threw a handful of floo powder into the grate as he called "Beulah Hill" and stepped into the fire, followed by Gil and the invisibility cloak.

Meanwhile at Pizza Spot not five minutes away Harry Potter felt an alarm go off in the house, leaving some muggle money on the counter he bolted from the shop, apparating unseen with a crack to his front door and stepping inside.

"TEDDY! TEDDY, GIL!" Harry screamed, Running up to Teddy's room, not finding anyone.

"Think..." Harry muttered, he jumped down the stairs to the kitchen where the pot with floo powder was sitting on the table and a small fire was burning in the grate.

"Damn it, Teddy where did you go?" Harry asked no one, tapping his foot. Finally he threw some powder into the grate and went to the ministry.


	16. Castle Van Dee Zee

Teddy was in a dark reception room, Gil right behind him when they came out of the floo. Teddy looked around at the sisnster room, there was an old lounge against the far wall and unlit candebras on the walls an empty hall table stood against the ajacent wall. Gil pulled Teddy close and covered them both with the cloak.

"Someone came through the floo!" A woman called, and the same dark skinned woman from before came into the room, her wand lit. A man followed her.

"There's no one there, Ursula. Is the boy in his room?" The man asked. The woman, Ursula sneered.

"Yes, he'll stay there till Wednesday, just to be safe. Don't understand why you insisted on bringing him home."

"We couldn't let him visit his little friends." The man replied, Ursula seemed to understand why and they both turned and left.

"See? Teddy hissed, "I told you something was wrong!"

Gil nodded seriously.

"Come on, lets find him." Teddy hissed.

The boys, still huddled under Harry's cloak, left the dusty reception room and entered a square hall, and they began to make their way up the steps.

"Here," Gil paused at the first floor door and put his hand on it. "I hear something, like a hurt dog."

"Merlin," Teddy held the massive padlock in his hand, "Look at all the locks."

"And the door, it's not wood, it's metal, look."

Gil tapped the door and it resonated a steely sound.

"He's in there?" Teddy asked, Gil nodded. "Alright," Teddy pulled out his wand.

_"Alohamora!" _He said and the locks all clicked and snapped open. Teddy gulped.

"TEDDY!" The shout startled both boys.

"Balls," Teddy looked over his shoulder where he could Hear Harry's voice quite clearly coming down the hall.

"He's coming," Gil said and they pushed the massive door open, slipped inside and slammed it shut.

_"Lumos," _Gil said, lighting his wand, the room had no windows, or lights and was dark and looked like it had been ripped to pieces.

"Zeke?" Teddy called with a frown on his face, and he was answered by a low growling.

"Run," Gil stuffed his wand in his robe again, plunging the room into darkness and Teddy darted to the door, hands scraping along the cool metal looking for a latch. "Here," Gil grabbed Teddy's hand, putting it on a large handle and the boys managed to crack the heavy door open. The growling got louder.

"TEDDY?" Harry shouted again.

"DAD! WE'RE HERE!" Teddy screamed and he and Gil managed to get the door open wide enough to fit through one at a time, as Harry got there, he yanked Teddy out by the arm and was reaching for Gil's hand when the young boy screamed, there was another growl and a crack and Gil slipped back into the room, like he was being dragged by something.

"HELP!" Gil's voice came from within the room, and Harry didn't pause, he pushed Teddy behind him and launched his shoulder into the door, making the heavy door swing open and slipped into the room, wand drawn. The door shut with a horrible clang behind him.

"HARRY!" Teddy yelled, launching himself at the door. The room behind was quiet but Teddy could see colored flashes through the crack between the door and floor. He took a step away from the room, back hitting the hallway wall and he slid down it, eyes still fixed on the horrible room his godfather had just run into.

Then the door was flung open, so suddenly Teddy jumped, Harry stood, covered in blood and scorch marks with an unconscious Gil in his arms. The door slammed shut behind him.

Gil had a horrible tear from the center of his forhead over his eye to his chin, both eyes were closed and his breathing was strained and shallow. The rip in his face was bone deep, Teddy could see Gil's teeth _through _his cheek. The skin was peeled back to reveal the damaged muscle beneath.

Blood matted in Gil's hair and when Harry moved him Teddy saw the other side of his face was torn away as well. The rest of his body was covered in Harry's big winter cloak.

"Get the invisibility cloak," Harry said, Teddy picked it up straight away and without being told to grabbed Harry's arm. There was a crack as the man and two boys disappeared.

Teddy had no time to register the change from the musty house to the bright sterile Hospital wing. Harry didn't wait for him, he ran into the ward and shouted.

"PYE!"

"Potter!" A middle aged, short, brown haired man ran to Harry straight away.

"Werewolf attack," Harry reported without waiting, setting Gil on a hospital cot, "Gil Paige, Orphan, 13, it happened just then, I apparated straight here."

"Ok," The healer walked around the bed, his wand flicking and moving and never stopping but Teddy couldn't see anything happening.

"It's not good, Harry," Pye warned Harry, both seemingly oblivious to Teddy standing there unable to move. They pulled the cloak away.

That made Teddy move; he fainted.

Under the cloak was not a person. The clothing was torn and caked in blood there were deep gouges and punctures all over him. The lower part of Gil's leg was broken, obviously the shockingly white bone was jagged and snapped, sticking out of his leg, surrounded by skin which looked like it had been minced.

Harry began healing some of the more simpler cuts as three other healers rushed forward, one of them turning back to levitate Teddy onto a bed.

When Pye and the others stopped working he came to Harry.

"You dosed him up?" Pye asked, reffering to the still sleeping Teddy, Harry nodded. "I have a few things to sort out. Will he be alright?"

The healer turned back to the bed.

"Hard to tell, if hes still kicking in the morning he'll be fine. Where's the wolf that did it? Did you kill it?"

Harry shook his head. "It was a minor, one of their friends. The parents just locked him in a room, he was supposed to stay with me this Christmas, and I don't know why but Teddy and Gil went to his place and straight into the room where the wolf was."

Pye nodded, "Leave Teddy here," He instructed, "I'll treat him for shock, make sure he eats enough, you have to go to the Ministry."

Harry nodded, kissing the sleeping Teddy goodbye and removing his shoes.

"Thanks Augustus," Harry told the man sincerely. Agustus Pye just nodded, Harry went to the nearest fireplace and went straight to the Ministry.

* * *

Harry once again rammed the obscene metal door open just as the sun rose above the horizon. Ezekiel was laying in the center of the floor naked, and crying.

Harry's heart reached out to the brokenly sobbing boy.

"Ezekiel?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Leave me here," Ezekiel said, not even moving to cover himself.

Harry shrugged off his new outer cloak and wrapped the boy up in it.

"Come on," Harry said, heaving the boy up off the floor. "We're going to Mungo's."

"Don't help me, please," Ezekiel pleaded.

"Its not your fault, Zeke."

"It is," Ezekiel clung to him and began to cry again.

Harry stepped into the private room in the Dai Llewellyn Ward, looking over Ezekiel and casting a few cleaning charms on him. Then he set a vial of Wolfsbane on the nightstand.

"Ezekiel, look at me," Harry said, Ezekiel looked at the potion with mixed emotions, then he looked at Harry.

"The wizarding world has very strict laws regarding werewolves," He told Ezekiel, "And your parents have not only failed to care for you in that respect but also as their c_hild_ do you understand?"

Ezekiel nodded, so Harry continued.

"They were arrested last night," He told Zeke, "Because they were incorrectly caring for a werewolf during the transformations and because they were incorrectly caring for you. What happened last night wasn't your fault, it was your parents, and my own and most importantly it was an accident. You had no control over what you did. Do you understand, Zeke?"

He nodded again. Then he finally spoke.

"Is Gil dead?"

"No," Harry replied, "The healers say it was a bit touch and go last night, and he'll be recovering for a while, but he'll be fine."

Ezekiel nodded.

"I've got to go do some more legal stuff, okay, I'll be back soon."

Ezekiel nodded again before looking at the potion and downing it all in one gulp. Then he sat up on the hospital bed and stared at the wall. He startled when there was a light knock on the door.

"Teddy?" Ezekiel asked the brown haired boy. Teddy gave him a tight smile and paused in the door. "Teddy, its okay, I... I won't hurt you. I didn't meant to hurt Gil."

Teddy still paused in the doorway.

"Teddy, please," Ezekiel stood up to go to his friend, who paled and stepped away from him. "It's me," Ezekiel pleaded with his unresponsive friend. "Ted, please."

Ezekiel lost his patience and took the few steps forward to Teddy, who tripped up and backed out of the room, his robes flying away as he left the ward.

Ezekiel looked down the long white ward.

"Gil," He whispered, spotting an outline of his little friend on the bed at the far end, behind a privacy curtain, he made to go towards the bed but was stopped by Harry.

"Professor," Ezekiel didn't mean to sound pleading but he did. Harry sighed and grabbed the boys arm, not unkindly and led him back into the room.

"Gil will be fine," Harry told him first, "But he will have quite bad scarring and he was bitten, so he will turn at the next moon."

Ezekiel didn't react, he knew this, he remembered it.

"Teddy is terrified," Harry said, "Just give him time." Ezekiel nodded sadly. "And do you know what happens to Werewolves when they have human blood?"

Ezekiel's mind raced and he gasped. Eyes going wide, he wanted to know but he didn't dare ask.

"Breathe, Ezekiel," Harry reminded him.

"Greyback-" Ezekiel whispered, remembering the man that was more wolf than man.

"It's not that bad." Harry said. "No where near."

Ezekiel gave him a shaky nod.

"Ezekiel." Harry said, and Zeke looked up at him. Harry held out a mirror. "It's alright."

Ezekiel didn't believe him, but picked up the mirror anyway.

The biggest difference were his teeth. He could feel them better than he could see them. Sharp like a canine. all of them, little sharp pointed teeth; perfect for tearing meat.

Meat and _blood. _

Ezekiel saw his own eyes flash in the mirror. From brown to black, and they stayed there.

"I look frightening," He said, pushing the mirror away.

"Its not that noticeable." Harry told him, "Not as noticeable as you think."

They both looked up at another light knock on the door.

"Teddy," Ezekiel said, Harry gave him a funny look. "Your nose has gotten better too, your hearing as well, I'd guess."

Harry opened the door and smiled at his godson.

"Its alright cub."

Teddy slipped into the room, hiding behind Harry. He gulped.

"Gil's awake." He said lightly. "He wants to see you."

Ezekiel nearly fell over. He felt everything go numb at the mention of his friend and he shakily looked at Harry who gave him a wan smile.

"Go on," Harry said. "You'll have to see him eventually."

Ezekiel slipped past his friend and Professor, the door of the private room closed behind him with some sort of sinister finality.

Before him was a stark, empty ward, all but one bed at the end where he knew Gil was waiting behind the partition.


	17. Too soon

"Stop being so dramatic." Ezekiel's forboding mood was totally disrupted by Gil's tired but cheerful voice. Ezekiel went around the partition and couldn't help but gasp at his shy friend. "Scars are great with the ladies," He said with a little smile. Ezekiel couldn't help it; he laughed.

"I can't believe you're not angry, unhappy, murderous, Merlin Gil I can think of a hundred appropriate emotions for right now and you go with 'totes fine babe?"

Gil smiled. There was a huge scar running oblique between the center of his forehead to the base of his jaw (on the left side) while the right was red and swollen and looked like a burn scar, on his cheek, jaw and neck. He was really heavily bandaged, his chest and arms and legs, and there was a wheelchair beside his bed but the boy was still _smiling_ at him.

"Call me crazy," He shrugged.

"I don't think you're coping with this properly."

"Prat."

"Better."

Ezekiel couldn't contain himself any longer, he cried, and rushed to his friend and hugged him (gently).

"Merlin Zeke," Gil said. "It wasn't your fault."

Meanwhile in the private room Ezekiel had just left Teddy was hysterical.

"Teddy, calm down," Harry said, grabbing his godson's arm.

"How can I calm down! Hes been in the same _dorm _as me for the past three years!"

"Teddy, I don't understand-"

"He's a WEREWOLF, dad!"

"Teddy, please!"

"What now?" Teddy asked, enraged. "You're going to scold me for calling you dad? what thats been twice in the past two days, no can't let the orphan forget hes an orphan. I'm tired of being a burden and I'm TIRED of being lied to and I'm god damn tired of not having a propper family. I thought my friends were my family but they've all lied to me as well!"

"Teddy!"

Harry ran after Teddy, who ran from the ward not looking at either of his friends and into the hospital propper.

Harry paused at the door, loking between the boys.

"You guys are alright here?" He asked they nodded. then Gil said;

"I owe Ezekiel a mauling, though."

Harry gave Gil the same 'concerned for your mental health' look Ezekiel had given him and chased after Teddy.

"Stop feeling sorry for me," Gil said, "One day we will laugh about this, and I want it to be today - fine, tomorrow if you need time."

"Gil," Ezekiel hesitated, "You haven't gone through it yet, you don't understand-"

Gil hit him, hard, right in the eye.

Ezekiel was so glad for a reasonable reaction he actually laughed while tenderly touching his rapidly swelling eye.

"It's not funny," Gil said, "And don't you dare say I don't understand, I _knew. _I've been through a lot and I know whats going to happen."

"What?"

"I knew you were a werewolf."

"How?"

"Ezekiel you couldn't have hid it from all of us for seven years, in first year, before I was really apart of the group I would watch people. Well, I also spent my life reading books and watching movies. You disappeared every full moon. You were either a mermaid, which need to sing on a beach or something - which was out, obviously, a succubus which go and 'do the nasty' for the whole time, but you were way too tense when you came back for that or a werewolf. It is also commonly called a lunar curse, you know."

"But my sister-"

"I never heard your excuse for leaving, when you finally did tell me, well I was relieved I guess, I hoped you weren't a werewolf, from what I read about them in the library its not a gift."

"But you didn't really believe that?"

"No. The moon didn't even register the night we came to get you."

"You were coming to get me?"

"Yeah, don't mention it in front of Harry though, he'll be pissed when he remembers we snuck out. Anyway, just, don't let it ruin our friendship, okay Zeke? I don't see the point in dragging out bad things longer than necessary."

Ezekiel nodded.

"And Teddy?"

"He'll come around, even if we have to maul him too." Gil said happily, noticing Ezekiel's flinch. "Too soon?"

"Yeah, give me till tomorrow." Ezekiel said, shaking his head at his friend. "I really am sorry Gil, you'll have to live with this to, now."

Gil smiled sadly. "It's done," He dismissed. "I'll live."

* * *

"Teddy?" Harry found the boy hiding in the cafe, where else would he have gone, really? Teddy didn't look at him, just sat there with his Harry hair and green eyes. "Teddy, I like it when you call me dad." That got his attention. "Because you _are _my son, I love you and would never, _ever_ think you could be a burden, cub."

"Lots of people think I stole your youth-"

"Teddy," Harry sighed, he pulled out a chair. "The whole bloody world stole my youth, Vernon stole my youth, Voldemort stole my youth, you, you were the only good thing I got from the war."

Teddy offered him a jerky nod.

"You were, I lost your mum and dad too, and Uncle George's twin brother, Severus Snape and Albus Dumbeldore - though I must say Snape's much chirpier in death, unless the artist used, I dunno, the wrong paint. Hell Ted I lost both my parents and my godfather."

Teddy sort of exhaled slowly and looked at him.

"You look like your dad when you sleep," He told his godson, "Your real dad, and I can't ever take that away from Remus, I don't want to replace him."

"He's not here," Teddy said simply and Harry thought about it, he had never thought of his own parents like that. He could have never called Sirius dad.

"I remember Ginny, when I was little, not being my real mum, not even a step mum or god mum, and I remember it was because you used to tell me about my real mum and dad, and Dora was just _nicer_ than Ginny, but with you and Remus, well you're just as good a dad, and he would be a good dad, but he's not here, and he wanted you to be my dad, didn't he?"

Harry smiled sadly at his godson.

"You've always thought of me as your father, haven't you, cub?"

Teddy nodded. Harry smiled.

"So I can call you dad?"

"Only if I can make the Punny jokes."

"Oh dear, I think I'll reconsider..."

Harry just narrowed his eyes at the boy.

"Now about Ezekiel and Gil -"

"I don't think we can be friends anymore-"

"Ted,"

"They lied to me!" Teddy exclaimed, working up his previous anger with ease.

"You're frightened," Harry stated gently, "And that's okay, cub." He told the boy.

Teddy deflated as he nodded, and his breath hitched, and his bottom lip wobbled, and before the tears even started to fall Harry had scooted his chair right next to Teddy's and folded his son in his arms in a comforting hug.

* * *

Gil was well enough to leave the hospital in four weeks, he was transferred to the infirmary where he stayed for two more, attending classes as well but with near constant check ups. Peyton and Walker had no idea what had happened to their friends, as they deduced correctly that all three were involved in Gil's injuries. Teddy had been sleeping in Harry's spare room, still refusing to face his fear of werewolves since admitting it, well sort of admitting it, that first day at the hospital and avoided his two friends at all times, not difficult, since Gil was in the hospital wing and Ezekiel was with Gil. Harry was waiting in his office for Teddy, in fact, when instead he met Ezekiel and Gil.

"Boys, take a seat," he told them cheerfully. "How are you feeling?" he asked Gil, who nodded happily.

"I'm fine but Ezekiel gets so morbid when anyone mentions it, and Teddy just avoids us both." Harry nodded.

"I'm going to have a chat to him about that, ah, Teddy, no boys you stay."

Teddy was standing in the doorway, something unfamiliar and unreadable dancing behind his bright blue eyes. He looked between the two boys sitting in front of the desk, almost seeing things not there as his eyes widened and in a flash of dark green hair, he was gone.

"TEDDY!" Harry called running after his godson, apologizing to the boys left in the room behind him.

Gil was swinging his legs on the chair he was sitting in, he was so short. Ezekiel looked at him.

"Teddy'll be okay, right?" He asked, the brown haired boy nodded.

"Fine, he'll be fine." Gil said. "The fear comes from somewhere, maybe his own dad, books, movies, I dunno, but it does come from somewhere, then the rational parts of his brain make it a billion times worse. He might not be afraid of werewolves per se, but the possibility of being bitten, helplessness, and maybe some ignorance and confusion."

Ezekiel gave him a funny look.

"What?"

"You just know a lot, about coping with fear, for someone who doesn't cope with anything."

Gil growled at him, then sniffed disdainfully.

"I do to cope with stuff, shut up."


	18. Mr Gil Paige

Mrs Madison Ackerman was not a kind nor empathetic woman, but her job needed her to be how she is; very strict, very proper and emotionless. The teacher that gave the cane without hesitation and everybody hated.

There was little joy left in this establishment, and no room for it, all considering. Mr. Bristow's Home for Troubled Children was an orphanage for victims, usually of brutal murders, suicide's and child abuse, many of the children here just had debilitating mental illness and were abandoned. It was not only a blessing on their finances but a blessing on humankind there were only fifteen children in her care.

Mr. Bristow was long dead, of course, his distant wife remained their benefactor in honour of his memory, though the funds were not even suitable to hire a proper psychologist. Sister Dianne was a volunteer nun who now helped the children through their troubles. She was the kind one, the trustworthy one. Miss Paloma Villaverde was their secretary, administration staff, a teacher and cook, who was just distant, she would barely speak to the children, brilliant as administration and a wonderful cook, but her classes lacked discipline, she was teaching as a favour and nothing more, once, some five years ago she had been a tenant here as well, at sixteen she had been brought in by the police with crippling social anxiety, having tried to run away from everyone, she had improved, a little. Lastly Fred and Vince, their security officers who were a true friend to some of the tenants, but really they were checking for self harm, signs of suicide, they were protecting the children not only from the outside world but themselves.

Fifteen children. Mrs Ackerman knew them like the back of her hand. Alexander Byrnes, Adam Donohoe, Anthony Abel, Bart Howland, Candice Janson, Jenkins Jakeman, Danette Lynn, Read Myers, Modesty Palker, Danny Palmer, Earnest Ricker, Gil Paige, Elenore Townsend, Happy Victorson and Merilyn Young. Fifteen children between three and seventeen who will never find a home.

Well, that wasn't _definitely_ true.

Alexander Byrnes was seven years old, he is still a far way off recovering with the severe abuse he was pulled from, Adam Donohoe was only three, the youngest and seemed like he didn't remember his father raping and killing his mother in front of him, a good thing of course - Adam had a chance. Anthony Abel was the oldest, at seventeen, now more staff than tenant but he still suffered from severe anorexia nervosa, he needed to be watched. Bart Howland was four, and since seeing his parents killed he would not speak, or make any sound.

Candice Janson was another orphan - run away father, dead mother - with a severe eating disorder, she was fourteen, Jenkins Jakeman was sixteen, the newest tenant, his parents were killed in an armed bank robbery, Jensen himself nearly died. Danette Lyn is six, and had created an entire alternate reality for herself, to cope with the sexual abuse from her mother. Read Myers was ten and suffered from extreme fits of rage, to the point where he beat his younger sibling to death - that boy was under extreme monitoring and isolation, often Fred or Vince were watching him very closely. Modesty Parker, 14 or Sally, 2 had multi-personality disorder, which was not getting better.

Danny Plamer was 15 and kept trying to kill himself after losing his parents in a fire, Earnest Ricker, who suffers from uncontrollable seizures because of the same infection which killed both his parents. Gil Paige would not tell anyone what happened to his parents, but the police at the violent scene of their death insisted he come here; he had shown signs of severe abuse. Other than an inappropriate response to upsetting or difficult to cope with situations he was normal, brilliant in fact; he had been accepted into a prestigious overseas boarding school. Gil had been here since he was only a year old.

Eleanore Townsend was thirteen as well as Gil, though she seemed to be the opposite, she was competitive with the other children, about how crazy she could be. Personally Mrs Ackerman couldn't stand the girl. Happy Victorson was abducted by a serial pedophile and tracked down by his parents who were both shot by the man when Happy was 7. Finally Miss Merilyn Young, who was 12 when she was sold to a drug lord by her father and crippled by the man in the next two years she spent with him. Merilyn was 16, turning seventeen this year. She too was a big help.

Madison sighed as she turned to Paige's headmistress, the woman was quite stern, very proper and old fashioned, not unlike herself, however this woman was kind, and in need of her cooperation; Madison was not kind or co-operative.

"You mean to tell me Mr. Paige has experienced _another_ highly traumatic event and you wish to, take him to this mysterious school once a month to work with him separately on it. Mrs McGonagall, I hope you understand my job at this institution?"

"Quite," McGonagall replied, "But from what I've read on the place the amount of successful suicides would suggest you're not particularly good at your job, I'm just trying to keep my own student safe."

Madison smiled her mean little smile. "Why the hell should I stop the ones that want to go?"

"None of them deserve this."

"Well I never bloody well said that. Now what's this traumatic experience Gil's been through?"

"He won't tell us," Minerva replied. Madison scoffed at the older woman.

"I could've told you that, won't talk about his parents, won't talk about his past, not nuffink."

Madison didn't miss McGonagall's eye roll.

"I will adopt him." Minerva announced. Again Madison smiled her mean little smile.

"Fine," She hissed, "Hope you realize what you're getting into, ain't none of these kids easy to care for."

Minerva pointedly ignored her.

"You'll need..." Madison paused her next snarky sentence and dropped the act, not of her own will. "Paperwork is in order," She said softly frowning. "Are you sure you want him?" she asked the woman in front of her, who nodded sternly.

"Alright then..." Madison shuffled the papers around stared at them.

"Sign here, Madame," McGonagall pointed to the line she was supposed to sign.

"Oh," She nodded, picking up her pen, "yes of course. He'll be coming back this summer, for whatever things he may have and to say goodbye to his friends, and some more paperwork, and an interview and an inspection of your home, during the year, and a meeting, and then he will be officially in your custody."

"It all seems in order, then, Madame, may I?" McGonagall motioned to the door and again Madison was taken somewhat off gaurd.

"Oh, yes, of course, good evening."

"Too you as well, Madame."

With a swish of her large coat, the woman left.

"Gil will like her," Madison whispered, looking over the papers again. "Yes."

* * *

McGonagall flooed back to Hogwarts and requested Neville's presence in her office immediately, the man came, punctual as ever and patiently waited for her to explain.

"There was some ... Trouble at Harry's this Christmas," Minerva told him, a worried frown creased his brow.

"Gil getting hurt?" He asked, she nodded.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, Harry had the three of them for the holidays, Mr. Paige, Mr. Van Dee Zee and Teddy, of course, but Mr. Van Dee Zee's parents wouldn't have him away from home, because of his condition. With the belief their friend was being abused at home the other two snuck away from Harry and went looking for him."

"Ah," Neville said, understanding blooming behind his eyes. "I guess it was a close call?" He asked, McGonagall nodded.

"It was, Harry found them in time to save Teddy and Gil, of course Mr. Paige was bitten-"

"What will we do about the orphanage in the summer?" Neville asked, "he can come to my house, he's a good kid-"

"That won't be necessary, Neville," Minerva said gently, "I'm going to be adopting him. Would you let him know?"

Neville's jaw dropped as he stared at the elderly woman, then he promptly shut his jaw and left the room, nodding, Minerva frowned. It was rare that an orphan, one in an orphanage turned out to be a wizard, and Minerva had never been a staff member when such a child was a student. Tom Riddle was the only other student in Gil's situation and Albus had told her all about Riddle's time at school, and Minerva saw a lot of disturbing parallels between the two boys, of course the differences were just as profound.

Tom Riddle was a lonely, brilliant and very quiet boy, and Gil was very much the same, but while Riddle was quiet his presence was not, Gil remained almost invisible despite being an intelligent and obviously powerful boy. The other notable orphan to be at Hogwarts was Harry himself, and Harry too was very like Tom and Gil, quiet, powerful and he had a big presence, like Voldemort had, but Harry didn't have the application that Tom and Gil had. Minerva sees a lot more of Harry in Gil than Teddy, though she sees an awful lot of Remus in Teddy as well.

Gil was a good kid, and he needed a home.

"Professor is it true?"

Minerva was taken off guard by Gil's prescience in her office, she peered at him over her glasses and moved around the desk to sit down.

"I cannot be a mother to you, Gil," she warned him, "I'm almost eighty years old and I'm a very busy woman, but I can be a guardian for you, and with your condition, you cannot stay with the muggles any longer."

He stared at her with utter shock on his face.

"Thank you professor," he whispered, eyes wide.

"Minerva would be okay, in private, Mr. Paige," she said awkwardly, he smiled at her in an uncomfortably understanding way.

"Only if you'll call me Gil," he said and smiled brightly. "Thanks Professor!"

"Come here Friday afternoon, Gil, we have to meet with Madame Ackerman for an interview at home."

Gil nodded as he left and Minerva smiled after the boy, feeling her old heart lighten a little.

* * *

Friday came quickly for Gil, and while Ezekiel must have noticed his excitement he didn't say anything, and Gil didn't tell him that McGonagall was adopting him. After his last lesson he left the classroom, leaving Ezekiel with Walker while he ran up to the common room and quickly brushed his hair and put on his 'best' muggle clothes. His poor battered button up had holes in the elbows and a dark stain on the hem, and was faded from red to grey, his jeans were in the same condition but they were all he had.

He cast a cleaning charm at his school shoes and brushed his teeth before just about running to the Headmistresses office.

"Mr. Paige," She greeted with a funny glance at his poor clothes, "Some of Malcome's things might fit you," she told him, waving him over, a pot of floo powder in her hand.

He took a handful and moved to the fire, looking at her expectantly.

"Windswept," she said, and Gil threw the floo powder into the fire and repeated the name.

Gil always shut his eyes when he was flooding, otherwise he felt sick, and so the first impression of the Windswept house was the wind. When he opened his eyes he was in a high ceilinged front room, the walls were cream and paneled with dark mahogany wood about 1/2 way up, thick red carpet covered the ground and thick red drapes covered the window. The lounges were not comfortable looking and cream. McGonagall followed him through.

"We're in Caitness, Scotland," She told him gently, "the house is called Windswept because it was built..." She paused and opened the heavy drapes. "On a cliff."

The outside looked cold and isolated, blue-green grasses swept over the hill and appeared to just stop, and beyond that was a breathtaking view of the misty Scottish highlands.

"It's beautiful," he told her, looking around the room, she slipped her wand from her sleeve and began waving it about, siphoning off the dust.

"Your room will be up the stairs on the left," she said to him, mine is up the stairs on the right and the one next to mine is my brother's, for when he is here, usually in the summer. you may explore the house otherwise, and there's some old clothing in the cupboard under the stairs, you may have any of it you like, though I will clean it before you wear it, it's quite old. I believe we have some more things packed away in the little bedroom next to my brother's room, you may keep anything from there you'd like as well. I'll be around the house, and Madame Ackerman is going to be here at six."

McGonagall left the room with that and Gil paused, looking around before tentatively walking into the hallway.

The stairs were at the end, and there was a dining room to the right and what he assumed was the front door opposite the stairs. The red carpet stopped here, instead a very dark wood floor and cream walls dominated, the glass front door and windows were again covered by the thick red drapes. He poked his head into the floor next to the lounge and found a less formal lounge with puffy comfy looking chairs and cream carpet, again with the dark paneling. There was a television, but it was tiny, and looked like it was from the 1940s and a gramophone sat in the far corner.

Tall windows dominated the far wall, again covered in thick red drapes.

Gil backed out of the room and went to the little cupboard. He pulled out a box labeled "Malcome 1955." Hefting it up the stairs and pushing open the ajar door to his new room.

It was the same as the rest of the house, looked like it was modeled off of Gryffindor common room, dark wood paneling 3/4 of the way up the cream walls and thick red carpets. From what he guessed, there was a big bed under the dust cover in the center of the room, an armoire against the far wall and a chest of drawers to the right.

Gil put the box on top of the covered drawers and pulled they dust cover off of the bed, he was right, it was made with a red black and gold cover, the headboard was a shiny red material and there were simple gold pillows. The armoire was black wood and it was as tall as the ceiling with clawed feet and intricate carvings. The chest of drawers wasn't really a chest of drawers, but had four drawers down the left side and the rest was a short bookshelf.

Gil set the box on the bed and carefully unpacked the contents, there were lots of button up shirts, and sweater vests and a tweed jacket and large overcoat, and it was out of date - even in the Wizarding world - but it was more than he had and it was nicer than anything except his school uniform.

He jumped as there was a knock at the door, and four large cardboard boxes floated in after Professor McGonagall who passed him a tea cup.

"I can get you juice or water if you'd prefer -"

"No professor, its fine, thank you..."

"I very much doubt you will not be able to stay, and after its official I will take you to get your own things -"

"I don't need charity," Gil said, rather rudely, but he plowed on anyway. "I'm so grateful for looking after me in the summer."

She held her hand up.

"I am, or I will be your guardian, Mr. Paige, and I will look after you like my own," she silenced him with a stern glare. "This is not charity, young man, this is a family."

She left the tea and the boxes on the drawers and left, with strict instructions to "salvage any item's you would like to keep and pack the rest up, they go in the small bedroom."

Gil sat on the bed with the cup of tea and stared at the door. He had a family.

This was not good.

He had a family once, and didn't that turn out great?


	19. Daily Prophet Report, December 2008

**Harry Potter; A Thirst For Revenge**

_Mr. Potter still has not been held acountable for the murder of his muggle aunt, Petunia Dursley, and while other reports would have you believe this was an honest accident caused by Mr. Potter's severe Post-Traumatic Stress, others; scared whisperers are suggesting he was going back for revenge on his abusive relatives. The extent of the abuse suffered by Mr. Potter at the hands of the Dursleys includes beatings, starvation, isolation and multiple counts of emotional neglect. Mr. Potter has requested that charges not be pressed, but the fact remains it did happen and has had a lasting effect on our war hero._

_Mr. Potter is prone to fits of rage, hallucinations and blatant attention seeking behaviour, even after the defeat of You-Know-Who, Mr. Potter continued to make numerous press appearance with his ex-wife Ginny Weasley and Orphaned godson Teddy Lupin. Reporters interviewed nine-year old Teddy in Diagon Alley, who appeared frightened when asked to speak about his home life and Mr. Potter's behavior. _

_Mr. Potter himself interrupted the interview by attacking our photographer. At this point Mr. Lupin appeared even more frightened of his so-called loving guardian and the two quickly left the alley after that._

_This violent sociopath like behavior suggests Mr. Potter is highly unstable, and even if he isn't abusing his godson, he is certainly not a fit career. Either way with Mr. Potter's history, it's now the popular view of ministry employees that Mr. Potter attacked and killed his relatives for revenge._

_Regardless__, a terrified Vernon Dursley refused to speak to reporters, stating he "wouldn't go the same way as Petunia!" and to "keep that Funny Business away from his house!"_

_Vernon's reaction to the Wizarding world is troubling at best, and even suggests that he and his innocent muggle family were the ones being abused by an extraordinary boy and his powers, after all, how would muggles defend themselves?_

_In Mr. Potter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry, it's been revealed that he caused the death of Quirrinus Quirell, the former Defense against the Dark arts teacher, in his second, Mr. Potter caused famous Adventurer and novelist, Gilderoy Lockhear to become a permanent resident of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, also in his second year Mr. Potter was unmasked as a parselmouth, a know dark gift._

_Mr. Potter not only aided the escape of Mass Murder Sirius Black in his third year but also the release of a dangerous animal which had been sentenced to death for maiming students. Fourth year was by far the worst, after Mr. Potter cheated to get into the Tri-wizard tournament he was a key role in the murder of Mr. Cedric Diggory, an accomplished student, Quiddich captain and prefect with a bright future, had Mr. Potter not taken that away._

_Harry's fifth year is where his mind Illness comes back full force, hallucinating in class, paranoid thoughts and illusions of self grandeur and after breaking into the Ministry of Magic claiming he must be the one to defeat the recently resurrected Dark Lord Harry is, once again, overlooked by our justice system._

_It's also been proven that Harry Potter was present at the Murder of Albus Dumbledore, and was even seen speaking to Draco Malfoy, a known Death Eater, that year, planning the fall of Hogwarts. Finally our overpraised hero never completed his schooling, allowed into not one but two high stress jobs under qualified. In Mr. Potter's seventh year, or what would have been, he broke into Gringotts, and killed or injured countless witches and wizards as well as endangering many innocent bystanders._

_Mr. Potters past is full of debilitating mental illness, robbery, murder, plots and schemes as well as every breach of rules or law being conveniently overlooked - this reporter believes its only a matter of time before Mr. Potter uses all of this against us, and destroys our hard earned peace. Already he sees fit to violently take the law into his own hands, on many occasions being involved in many court cases which he had no authority to be at and taking this a step further will mean that the wizarding world will answer to this violent psychopath._


	20. Summer

_**M**orning, I apologize for the shoddy editing on this, it's quite late at night here, I'm hoping my sleep addled brain didn't do too badly. _

_Ok some news first: I have begun posting 'Marauding' Which is a sister fic to the chapter 3 I accidentally posted in this story that one time. I'm particularly fond of that story and would really appreciate feedback for it if you have nothing else to do between updates of this._

_Thank you to favorites and followed and reviewers, you all make my day._

_My profile page has been fully updated too, theres info about the progress of all my stories (including this) and current projects._

_I'll let you get on with the reading now, enjoy._

* * *

**Summer**** Holidays 2013**

Harry smiled at Teddy as he walked into the sitting room.

"Your grades came back," he singsonged to the boy waving the envelope and throwing it to his suddenly worried looking godson. "Look a little more worried Ted, and I won't be suspicious at all."

Teddy gave him a sheepish smile and slit the envelope open with his fingers. Harry laughed at the look of relief that flashed in the boys eyes as he read his grades.

"Show me, Ted," Harry said, Teddy threw the letter at him and Harry glanced over it, then congratulated his godson. "I think a little reward is in order, hmmm?"

Teddy brightened.

"Mr. Zabini's?" He asked, practically catapulting off of the lounge towards the kitchen, Harry followed him with a laugh and the man and his son flooded to Diagon Alley.

"Harry!" Harry turned and smiled when Minerva called his name, Gil standing at her side, the usually shy boy smiled - it was so odd, the only time he wasn't shy was in stressful situations - "hello Gil," Harry greeted, while calmly reaching over and stopping a panicking Teddy from running away.

"Dad, no please," Teddy hissed under his breath, on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Teddy," McGonagall called, Teddy's eyes went wide as he was forced to face Gil.

"Deep breaths cub," Harry said and Teddy shut his eyes, trying to calm himself, even though his brain was unhelpfully supplying bloody images of Gil transforming and killing them all.

"I'd like to have private lessons with you this year, Mr. Lupin," McGonagall told him, and the panic in his chest did not dissipate, "Harry may come with you." She said shortly and with a smile at them both and a glance at Gil, she left.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god."

"Calm down cub," Harry told him, "come on, it's alright."

Teddy shook his head, and Harry sighed and dragged him through the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley, turning into a shop straight away.

Teddy wasn't paying attention, he had to run, and hide, he wanted to go home, he couldn't breathe!

"Drink Ted," he heard in his ear and a vial was pressed into his palm, without thinking he knocked it back and coughed at the awful aftertaste.

The panic stopped.

"Calming draught," Harry explained as they left the apocothary. "We're addressing your fear of werewolves this year cub, no more hiding."

Teddy nodded. "Thanks dad," he whispered quietly.

Harry ruffled his hair and took him to the ice cream parlor, which was empty but for Pansy eating a huge chocolate Sunday in the corner with her and Blaise's 11 year old son.

"Harry, Teddy!" He said, coming to the register, "the usual?" He asked with a grin, they both nodded.

Blaise shooed them to Teddy's favorite spot at the table outside and soon brought out two Sundays as well as his wife and son.

"Teddy Harry this is Pansy and Pascal," they all smiled and shook hands politely. Pascal was a young boy, short like his mother but as handsome as his father.

"Pascal, Harry will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year," Blaise said, "He starts this year, you'll keep an eye on him, won't you Teddy?"

Teddy nodded with a smile, "of course Mr. Zabini."

"There's a good lad."

Harry's mind was elsewhere, across the road was a slim dark haired girl, her hands pressed against the glass of quality quiddich supplies.

"Dad," she said to the blonde haired man standing next to her.

"No," he told her, "not until you make the quiddich team."

"Scorpius can sneak it in!" She told him, looking at the shorter blond next to her, who laughed at her.

"Sadie, they wouldn't believe I wanted a broom at school."

Malfoy shook his head.

"That's your mother, right there, Scorp. Merlin she hated to fly."

Harry gulped and turned back to the conversation he was supposed to be listening to, only to find that Pansy and Blaise were staring at him.

He coughed awkwardly.

"Nothing," he said, then became inexpressibly interested in his fingernails.

"He'll come around, dear," Pansy told him. Harry shook his head.

"He will," Blaise reassured, "here he comes now."

Harry looked up shocked at that and stared at Malfoy who was walking this way. Sadie and Scorpius were still at the quiddich shop.

"Potter, Blaise, Pansy," Malfoy said with a haughty look. Harry looked away.

"Potter, I want you to have nothing more than a professional relationship with my daughter this year," he said, "You're lucky the board of governors didn't have you fired so she could attend school, what with your hot headed-"

"You're so full of shit, Draco!" Pansy said before covering her mouth and glancing at the two kids, who were looking at her and laughing, she gave them a look and turned back.

"I've heard nothing but good things about Potter, and nothing but dirt about you and your little hissy fit, glad to see you're over it finally-"

Blaise had clapped his hand over Pansy's mouth.

"Sorry," he apologized for his wife, Draco looked like he was trying very hard to stop his eye from twitching.

"This isn't done," he said, with a finger in Harry's face, and Harry just rolled his eyes at the man before said man stomped off.

"Don't worry, he's always been that weird," Pansy said, Blaise nodded.

Harry smiled, "well we better get going, thank you, Blaise, Pansy," Harry said, handing Blaise two galleons, which he tried to refuse but Harry forced the generous tip on him.

"Come on Teddy Bear," he said with a stretch as he stood. "Lots to buy."

Teddy waved to the small family and the two made their way up the street.

* * *

Gil shuffled nervously and looked away as Minerva paid for more of his school things.

"Thank you, Aunt Minerva,"

"You do not have to thank me for every school book, Gil," she told him, "you may get whatever extra reading you like, if you wish."

Gil hesitated, then shook his head.

"It's fine," he told her. She sighed and handed him five galleons and smiled at him.

"You helped me alot this summer, with the housekeeping and cooking and things, you earned it."

He looked at the gold coins, he had little knowledge of the value of money, especially wizarding money, but he knew the gold ones were worth alot.

"I can't-" he began but she gave him a stern look.

"Well then save them, but they are yours. Now, I'm going to go over to Madame Matkins and get my old cloak tailored I'll meet you there soon."

Gil stared at the money, and pocketed it, he couldn't spend it, it wasn't his.

Minerva gave him a look as he entered the shop after her but he paid it no mind, she did tell him to get some robes and a nice winter cloak, which she forced him to get by asking Madame Matkin to help him, as well as getting his school robes.

Gil thanked his guardian as they left the shop and she waved it off. Then she pushed him towards the stationary shop before they headed home.

* * *

Harry waited for Teddy to pick out his books in Florish and Blotts by wandering the isles. He saw a girl climbing the shelves to reach something, and said shelf wobbled dangerously.

Harry ducked forward with his wand to stop it from falling and she looked around gratefully.

"Thanks daddy," she said, her grey eyes shining, "that one!" She pointed to standard book of spells, grade one and he shimmied it off of the shelf.

"Dad says I have to call you Professor Hare-Bare at school, but Scorpius says you make up silly nicknames for people who do that, and Dad says you will never think of something for Sadie." She smiled at him, browsing the shelves and pulling down another book, then handing to him. "Scorpius says you're an awesome Professor," she informed him enthusiastically. "I'm so excited for Hogwarts, I get my wand soon, after the robe shop, and I want Pheonix wand, like yours but dad says it doesn't work like that." She handed him another two books. "though I can't decide between Gryffindor or Slytherin, and dad says I will be in Huffelpuff with all the nonsense I say, but then he said thats a trait I got from you, deffinately, as well as my hair and manners, but the good looks come from him. I think that's them all," she said handing him another book, "yep, come on daddy."

Harry followed her utterly stunned, unable to process the information, and placed the books on the counter, Teddy showed up next to him and put them down as well, the boy was laughing.

"Teddy!" Sadie cried and hugged the boy, "you're my half brother!"

Teddy giggled and hugged the girl back as Harry absent mindedly payed for all of the textbooks.

"Potter, not doing so great with that professional relationship are we? Perhaps laywers should be involved?"

Harry jumped and turned to face Malfoy, Sadie thanked him happily for the books and went back to her father and brother.

"I, um, no, I'm leaving," he said, Grabbing Teddy and subconsously making his own books follow them out of the shop, flapping like literature birds.

Teddy was laughing at him.

* * *

"Shut up cub," Harry stumbled through the floo in the kitchen of number twelve to hear Teddy still laughing at him.

"Malfoy's messing with you," Teddy said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "It's brilliant."

"Malfoy's a prick," Harry reminded him, "he's threatening my job and my guardianship of you."

Teddy shook his head, a wide smile on his face, and carried his stuff up to his room.

Harry frowned after him. But shrugged it off and made himself tea.

"YOU WANT TEA CUB?" Harry yelled up the stairs, receiving the affirmative from Teddy, and Harry made him a cup, milk and about a half kilo of sugar, just how Ted liked it, and walked to the boy's room.

Teddy's trunk was open, his new school robes already folded in the bottom and his old textbooks in a pile next to him as he stacked them into his bookcase.

"I think you should write to Ezekiel and Gil, cub." Harry told him, Teddy didn't miss a beat in his book stacking, but there was a moment before he replied.

"Yeah, I miss them."

"You know they're the same, right?" Harry asked him, "just because the're werewolves-"

"I," Teddy started, "It's not thats I just," he paused and took a breath. "I just, knowing that's what they are, I keep thinking at any moment they'll just kill everyone, I know its not their fault and ... It's totally irrational, I know, but I can't... I panic, I can't breathe, I just..." Teddy stopped talking and looked at him miserably.

"I know club, we'll work on it, okay?"

Teddy nodded and Harry hugged his son.

"Thanks dad."


	21. Hogwarts' Newest Malfoy

**1st September **

Perhaps the best thing about the Wizarding World, thought Harry, was the fact that it never changed. It didn't need to, with Kingsley as Minister the uncorrupted Ministry had abolished blood prejudice, interhouse unity was at a record high and magical creatures were recognized as equals and treated fairly. Nothing needed to change.

Harry looked around the platform, packed with parents and students, the train puffing out steam while birds squawked and cats prowled. Teddy was ringing his hands, looking around.

"Hey cub, it'll be fine."

Teddy gave him a shaky smile, and almost fell over when Ezekiel's soft voice asked.

"Ted?"

Ezekiel had left Harry between Teddy and himself, and was standing a little farther away than conventional, Teddy looked between Ezekiel, Harry, and his own feet.

"Hey... Hey Ezekiel."

Ezekiel beamed and moved forwards but Harry stopped him, glancing at Teddy who had his eyes shut tight.

"Here Ted," Harry slipped a vial of calming draught from his pocket and gave it to Teddy, who knocked it back like it tasted good.

He physically shuddered and looked at Ezekiel, who stared back at him.

"I'll go Ted, it's okay, baby steps," he smiled, if a bit disappointed, and left.

"I'm a bad person," Teddy cried, holding his head in his hands. Harry shook his head and hugged the boy to his side.

"No you're not, cub, you're trying, and it will get better." Harry helped him onto the train, waiting for it to leave the station before he turned to go home, and then to Hogwarts via floo.

The platform was so quiet after the train left, it was a morbid quiet, contemplative parents all filing back to the barrier to go home, knowing they won't see their children until Christmas, Harry strolled off the platform, whistling a happy tune knowing he would see Teddy again that night.

"Chirpy morning, Potter?"

The whistling stopped and Harry glanced over his shoulder at Draco Malfoy, who was wearing a muggle suit and walking a few paces behind him. Malfoy smirked.

"Sadie is so excited to start," He said, the smirk never leaving his face, "Hope you don't ruin it for her, remember my little warnings, Potter, and don't think I won't be checking up on them, I know Sadie will be in Slytherin, and I won't let you bully her into turning against me."

Malfoy had a very serious look on his face, but Harry was seething.

"Malfoy, I understand _why_ you won't let me see her, fine, okay, but for Merlin's sake stay away from me, you selfish prick."

Malfoy laughed hollowly at him as he turned on his heel and left the station with a crack, knowing he was in a spot the muggles couldn't have seen him.

Harry was running around Grimmauld place, putting dust covers over everything and making sure there was no food that would go bad while he was at work. He grabbed his own trunk, one significantly bigger than his old school trunk and hefted it towards the fire in the kitchen. He tapped the box of floo powder on the mantle to unlock it (for reasons obvious) and grabbed a handful.

"Slytherin's Quarters," He stated clearly, the fire turning green and he stepped in.

There was puff of ash and Harry tripped and fell, his trunk following him with a crash. Coughing he stood up and brushed his coat off, before dragging the trunk into his room and unpacking it methodically, he then shrugged on a robe and grabbed his 'teaching things' and headded for his office.

Harry was re-arranging his desk when there was a knock at the door.

"Hello?" He called, the door creaked open and a head of chocolate brown hair poked through. "Gil!" Harry greeted the boy who smiled a shy smile and came into the room, closing the door softly behind him.

"How's Teddy?" Gil asked, Harry shook his head.

"Keep your distance, mate," Harry told his son's friend, "he's fine with the letters but he just panics... you know."

Gil nodded. "Aunt Minerva wanted me to ask you to bring Teddy to her office after dinner, and the password for the common room is toaster."

Harry smiled.

"Aunt Minerva?" He asked, amused, Gil blushed.

"Professor McGonagall, she insisted I call her Minerva but I just couldn't. Professor Minerva annoyed her and she wouldn't have me call her Mum or Grandma - not that I would have- so it ended up being Aunt Minerva."

"How do you like it, Gil?" Harry asked, motioning for the boy to sit down.

"It's brilliant," Gil said, "Having a family," He looked at his feet. "You know, for the first time ever, I don't have everything I own in my school trunk. I actually left my Defense book at home!"

Harry gave him a look, Gil blushed.

"Right, sorry about that, Professor, she said she'll pick it up for me tomorrow afternoon."

"It's good Gil," Harry told him, "I never got that feeling, not until I became a teacher."

"Oh, but you - you're relatives - oh, right, sorry."

Harry smiled, it was never a nice topic when someone forgot how his relatives treated him, and everyone knew, it was one of the biggest parts of his story, after all.

"Teddy told you about my relatives?" Harry asked, genuinely curious as to how Gil, who grew up in the muggle world and was younger than _those _articles knew about it.

"My mum told me the story," Gil said quietly, with a little smile. "The great Harry Potter who grew up with the horrible muggles saving the world."

Harry smiled at him. "you remember your mother, then?" He asked, then paused. "If you don't mind me asking."

Gil nodded, "I was only little when I - they died, one, according to the orphanage, but I remember her telling me that story. Maybe because when I got to the orphanage, at first I thought it was better than your childhood. At least a normal one might have been."

"A normal one?" Harry frowned at him, Gil shrugged. "I was in an orphanage for the mentally unstable and children who had lost their parents, er, violently."

"Why?" Was all his professor asked, Gil's eyes darted around the room.

"Just because, I best get going," He stood.

"Gil," Harry stopped him, "Wait, just a moment, please."

Gil took a deep breath and turned to face his professor.

"If you ever need someone to talk to," He told the boy, "About your parents or the orphanage or the lycanthropy, anything, I'm here ok, or Neville, sorry, Professor Longbottom. We might be in a better position than most to help."

"I...er...thanks." Gil said, then he darted from the room.

Harry looked at the door with a suspicious look as it swung shut behind him, but was brought out of his musings by a tap on the window. He didn't recognize the owl, but wandlessly opened the window to let it in. He untied the letter from its leg and it took off straight away. Opening the parchment, Harry read;

_Professor Potter,_

_I was just wondering if maybe you might possibly want to go to Dinner sometime, you know, this year, anytime really I was just wondering, thanks._

_Maxine Lane._

Harry stared at the parchment with utter shock.

"I believe that's an invitation for a date."

The voice was drawling, and ever so hated, and made Harry yelp as he jumped back from Malfoy, who was hanging over his desk and reading his mail upside down.

"MALFOY! what the bloody hell are you doing _here?_"

Of course the prat laughed at his reaction and snatched the parchment off him, reading it and tearing it up.

"She's much too young for you," He said slipping the shredded note in the bin, "Wouldn't want to give young children any _disgusting_ ideas."

The way Malfoy leered at Harry made Harry feel ill. So he leveled a glare at the blonde man and stood up.

"I know she's too young," Harry defended himself, "So I was _going_ to let her down kindly, however, I don't appreciate you noseing through my private mail!"

Malfoy laughed at him and patted his head, Harry tried to swat the hand away but missed. "I'll be noseing around this year Potter, you'll have to get used to me." And with that he turned on his heel and sauntered out of the room.

Harry glared after him.

* * *

Harry once again waited for the first years under his cloak in the entrance hall, trying to remember who's children - apart from Sadie - might be in that year. Pascal Zabani, he knew would be here and Catrina Finnegan, Seamus' eldest daughter, and One of Oliver's kids, Maisy, if Harry's memory served correctly.

The first years filed into the entrance hall looking around worriedly. Hagrid came in after them, a big smile on his face even thought they were all drenched.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" Harry said with a dramatic sweep of his arm, removing the cloak. The first years jumped, their awe - filled gazes taking in the wizard before them... Harry loved his job.

Sadie was standing at the front of the group, a huge smile on her face and she waved at him happily, Catrina was next to her, also looking giddy with excitement and Harry cleared his throat to get their attention.

"In just a moment you will walk through these doors and be sorted into your houses. There are four Hogwarts houses, Huffelpuff, Slytherin, Gryfindor and Ravenclaw, while you are here you will eat and sleep and learn with your housemates, your triumphs will earn you points, while any mischief will lose your points. At the end of the year the wining house gets the house cup." Harry turned on his heel and slipped into the hall, getting the hat and stool and list while Minerva shushed the older students. The ghosts flew into the hall at that moment, and the whole student body chuckled as one of the little girls in the entrance hall screamed particularly loudly.

Harry went back to the entrance hall, pushing the doors open and waving the kids inside, he led them up the center of the hall and stood next to the hat. Pryderi twitched then the tear at the brim opened and the hat sang;

_A new year begun,_

_Time for more fun,_

_Pranks, and NEWTS and all,_

_Gather round like before,_

_In the same old hall,_

_Everyone do make haste,_

_The firsties will find their place,_

_Sorted into houses four,_

_Weather they are in Gryffindor, _

_For those, brave is their way_

_And Chivalry is their forte_

_Or in kind old Hufflepuff,_

_Even when times are tough,_

_Are loyal beyond compare,_

_Those kids there,_

_Are always fair and will always care,_

_Or will you be in Ravenclaw?_

_Full of wisdom and wit,_

_Through any lesson they will sit,_

_A love of learning and all things fact,_

_Will be a Ravenclaw, or I'll be sacked. _

_Or with the Slytherins is your place_

_Cunning, sly and two faced?_

_Are you as slippery as Salazar?_

_And determined to go far?_

_Founders four created me, _

_For inside your minds to see,_

_And find out a fitting quality,_

_And see where it is you ought to be,_

_There is no other hat like me,_

_Not one as smart,_

_I tear all the others apart!_

The staff and students applauded, one of the first years looked gobsmacked at the singing hat and Harry chuckled at her, muggleborn, probably. He stepped forward and unrolled the scroll, clearing his throat and calling out "Abigail Adam," The girl stepped forward quite confidently, her hair was short and red and her face was quite pinched, she sat on the stool and Harry placed the hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" It yelled, her shoulders slumped, Harry couldn't tell if it was relief or disappointment and she went to the cheering table.

"Leon Bole," Harry called, and a shy looking boy came up.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Iona Bull,"

"HUFFELPUFF!"

"Derrick Carlyle."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Elwyn Dane."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Conner Davies." Harry paid more attention when he recognized the surname of a kid, and it was entirely likely Connor was Roger Davies son, so Harry had to watch out for him on the Ravenclaw Quiddich team in the next few years.

Yes, Slytherin had won the Quiddich Cup since Harry was made head of house in 2007, yes it was killing Minerva inside.

"RAVENCLAW!" Oh sorting. Right.

"Catrina Finnegan," Harry called and couldn't help but smile as Seamus' daughter waltzed up to the hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Of course.

"Ellen Goyle." The poor girl was a carbon copy of her father.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Great! _Sarcasm._

"Anata Holt." Anata was a shy girl, judging from the way she shuffled up the steps glancing over her shoulder at a tall boy - the tallest of them all - with dark hair. She hid behind her own long, gold hair, and her eyes stayed on her feet as she sat on the three legged stool.

"HUFFELPUFF!"

"Loki Holt." Harry called and the tall boy walked up to the stool, the picture of confidence, he seemed to be older than the others, but that was impossible.

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat cried, and the boy turned and walked off, throwing it on the floor angrily- trying to, Harry caught it.

That one was a weird one.

"Bryce Hooper."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Benjamin Hopkins."

"HUFFELPUFF!"

"Julia Jones."

_Don't yawn, don't yawn, don't yawn._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Francis Kirke, William Lewis, Kennith Mance and Lyn Mattaisan

were then made Huffelpuff, Ravenclaw, Huffelpuff and Ravenclaw.

"Randy McLaggen." _Merlin not another one,_ thought Harry and Cormack McLaggen's son sauntered onto the stage.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Haha not my problem.

"Mark Migden."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Sadie Malfoy."

She walked up to the hat with a smile on her face, and sat down, Harry hadn't even put it on her head when it cried "SLYTHERIN!" Just like her father's sorting had been.

"Helena Oliver."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Angelus Palmer," Harry watched the boy as he came onto the platform, he was _twitching._

It was just his hands, flicking out as if to check his robes were still there or something. His eyes were dull, the right milky and obviously blind, his rectangular glasses made his nose look too big and his dark hair was a little bit too long to suit him.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Harry may have actually been sleep sorting as the ceremony continued and finally he called "Pascal Zabini," who ran up to the stage and yanked the hat on his head.

"SLYTHERIN!" It cried and Pascal ran to the Slytherin table and stared at his plate.

Harry banished the hat and stool and walked back to the staff table as McGonagall stood to address the students.

"Enjoy your meal!" She cried and the tables filled with food. Harry smiled as he reached to grab some mashed potatoes and chicken and Neville laughed at him.

"I think I fell asleep," He said, Harry laughed.

"Me too. Some weird ones this year, one of them was twitching and I'll have to talk to Aurora about the Holt siblings; I have a funny feeling." Harry yawned, and then took a swig of pumpkin juice.

"And you got McLaggen's son!" Harry laughed at Neville who groaned.

"If hes anything like his father I'll have to keep him away from the Quiddich pitch."

"Just the beaters bats," Harry said shaking his head.

"You think there'll be any problems this year?" Minerva asked, leaning over to get Harry's attention.

"I have a feeling." Harry said, "er, Palmer? And the Holt Siblings, and maybe the Russian girl, and the Taylor twins they were weird." Minerva nodded. "I'll talk to Pryderi as soon as dinner's finished."

"Do you want me to come?" Harry asked. She nodded.

"Won't hurt."


	22. Hogwart's Recycled Malfoy

As the food disappeared off of the plates Minerva stood. The students went quiet immediately.

"I have only a few notices for you." She began, "you are all reminded that the forest on the grounds is _strictly forbidden. _And there is a list of banned items on Mr. Thorburn's door, for those interested." She turned and indicated Filius to stand, which he did, for all the difference it made.

"This will be Professor Flitwick's final year at Hogwarts, he has been a valued staff member, head of house and deputy in his time here."

The hall exploded with applause, Ezekiel in particular was cheering rather loudly; Filius bowed and waved happily at the students.

"Now, a final notice, a new staff member has joined us this year, the Ministry have seen fit to reinstate the Hogwarts High-Inquisitor-"

"WHAT!"

Both Harry and Neville had screamed in outrage at the same time, and Minerva shushed them with a knowing smile.

Harry scanned the head table.

_No..._

"Mr. Draco Malfoy will be staying at the school this year to assess the living conditions of students and the quality of the teachers, and the High-Inquisitor will be back every three years to asses the school."

Malfoy stood in his place at the front table, Harry half expected him to cough just like Umbridge had, but he waved a tiny wave and sat back down.

Minerva dismissed the students and went back to her own place.

"I'll see you soon, Harry." She said to him as he stood and left the Hall, waving to Teddy as he left for the Headmistresses office.

"Sherbert Lemon," Harry told the Gargoyle and it jumped aside, he thanked it and went up the stairs, streching as he sat in a squishy chair in front of Minerva's desk to wait.

"Potter."

"Oh no." Harry said dryly as he looked at Severus Snape's portrait. Snape had been painted with an armchair, which he was currently lounging in, and a cauldron and green drapes in the background. Dumbeldore was next to him, in his gold frame with the purple background.

"It's horrible being a portrait," he said.

"You're not real - what sort of portrait doesn't like being a portrait?"

Snape smiled at him.

"I'm special."

Dumbeldore laughed.

"I think the guy that painted you two was on meth." Harry deadpanned. The two former headmasters laughed at him.

"Call it freedom," Snape said. "How are my Slytherin's Potter have you ruined them yet?"

Harry glared at his ex professor.

"No," He snapped. Dumbeldore just stared at him knowingly, eyes twinkling. "Hurry up Minerva," Harry pleaded with the door. Minerva did come in.

"You're looking uncomfortable Harry." She said, pulling Pryderi off of the shelf and slipping it on her head.

"We were just... chatting," Severus said innocently.

Minerva rolled her eyes at him.

"You're usually more talkative, Albus." Minerva said. Dumbeldore shrugged.

"He's having trouble with all the greater good rubbish." Severus announced happily, "Specially around Golden Boy Potter."

"Shut up Snape."

"Shut up both of you." Minerva ordered the potrtaits - they were the only ones who didn't pretend to sleep all day - and slipped the hat off.

"Everythings alright, Pyderi said that the Holt siblings - Loki _is_ older, and was adopted by her parents, he is posessive of her - in a very unhelathy way but they've been spilt up, and Angelus Palmer has been hurting himself since the car accident last year which killed his father and sister, its not life threatening and should stop by itself."

"I'll keep an eye on them," Harry said, standing, and I'll let Aurora know about Anata and Loki.

McGonagall nodded and Harry left the office, going down to the dungeons to find his new Slytherins.

The prefects were doing their lecture as he slipped in the common room, the first years all sitting by the fire and he stood in the back of the room.

"Our Head of House," Zoe Dane, the sixth year girl prefect was saying with a gesture to the back of the room, "Is Professor Potter," Harry inclined his head at them, "and he is there if any of you need help, with anything through the year, as are the prefects, the first year dorms-"

Harry tuned the little speech out, she was a clever girl but Merlin did she have a dry personality.

The first years stood as one and made their way up the staircase, more than a couple of them yawning and a few already making groups. Oscar, Angelus and Loki were all talking amongst each other. Ellen Goyle was following Naomi Spinnet and Kane Taylor around, and Sadie, Pascal and Elwyn Dane were standing in front of the fire still, chatting. Harry turned and left the common room, yawing as he headded to his rooms, and was unsurprised to see Teddy waiting by the door.

"Hey cub," Harry said, whispering his password 'Dobby' to the bare wall and stepping back as it opened, Teddy gave him a sad look and ducked into the room, Harry ruffled his son's hair and followed him.

"Oh, we have to see Minerva tonight!" Harry cried, yanking Teddy's arm out of the little hallway leading to the lounge and the two turned and made their way back up the seven floors of Hogwarts.

"Yes?" Minerva answered the knock on her door with confusion, but on seeing them she seemed to remember what she wanted.

"Oh, yes," She waved them into the room and offered them tea from a tray which had been overseeing her own paperwork. "Teddy," she turned to the boy, "Gil came to me over the summer with an idea to help you with your fear."

Teddy nodded eagerly. "I'll do whatever I can."

Minerva looked between Teddy and Harry.

"I'm guessing a lot of your fears come from helplessness?" She deadpanned and Teddy nodded nervously.

"Oh," Harry said quietly.

"You know that animagus forms are immune to the lycanthrope gene?" Minerva asked him.

Harry smiled as wonder and hope blossomed in Teddy's amber eyes.

"I... I'm not seventeen yet, Professor." He stopped looking between Harry and McGonagall. "Really?"

"Minerva," Harry warned her, "I'll go through with it, but you-"

The old witch held her hand up.

"With my help it will be easier, and you'll both benifit from being unregistered, but I will try to get Teddy registered anyway." She said no more on the matter, just left the implications to be reached by Harry and Teddy. Harry held Teddy to his side.

"Thank you Minerva," Harry said sincerely.

"Sunday night," She told them sternly, "My office."

"Yes Professor," Teddy said and both he and Harry left the Headmistresses office.

They got to the bottom of the stairs and turned to each other with identical looks of shock and excitement on their faces.

"Oh my God!" Teddy whispered at him, then he looked like he was going to make a coherent comment but all he managed was; "Oh my God!" Again, in just a hiss.

Harry himself was utterly speechless.

"Wait, wait." Teddy said and stopped walking. "I'm going to get my friends back, and the headmistress of Hogwarts is going to teach us both to break the law?"

"I think so." Harry confirmed.

Teddy continued to re-phrase exactly what had just happened until they reached the dungeons, and Harry opened his wall, they crammed into the little dark hallway and with a flick of his writs Harry lit up the sitting room.

On his coffee table was a vase of flowers. Harry frowned at the folwers, looking between the boquet and Teddy, who was just as gobsmacked.

"Not mine," Teddy exclaimed and made his way to his room. Harry sat in front of the flowers and reached for the tag.

'_For Harry,' _was written neatly on the tag. Harry looked at them closer. They were long bell shaped flowers, or rather bell shaped flowers on long stems. Purple, monkshood flowers, he recognized them from that one time he had tried to brew Wolfsbane by himself. Don't worry, no one drank _that. _Lauressa had laughed at him for his attempt.

It was also poisonous, the flowers, (his attempt at polyjuice too no doubt, but, i digress), and if his memory served meant hatred and to 'be cautious,' but he was looking to far into it. They were flowers, they were pretty and he needed to have a chat with Maxine tomorrow.

With that thought Harry stood, ignoring the flowers, they bothered him for some reason, and went to bed.

* * *

Teddy had dragged his feet as he went into his own room, not bothering with the lights, he did dump his uniform on his bed, pulling on his flannel pajamas (they had some ridiculous print, cars or something, but Harry insisted he have warm, comfy Pyjamas that fit and looked silly.) And for a boy who scowled at his godfather for buying him proper pajamas Teddy was totally cool with dragging Draco the dragon off of the top of his armorie (where guests would not see it,) and hugging the plushie as he went to sleep. Becasue Teddy missed his best friends, and Draco was the next best thing right now.

* * *

Teddy was woken early morning by Harry, who was already dressed and ready to go to breakfast.

"Mimmbfh" Teddy moaned as the curtians on his Slytherin bed were drawn and candlelight spilled into the room.

"Come on Teddy-Bear, first day back." Harry chanted, Teddy cracked his eye (yes only one) open in time to see Harry's green robes swishing out of the room.

"friggen, too early," Teddy mumbled incoherently, he shimmied his way out of the covers and gingerly put his big toe on the floor.

"ARGH!" he squealed as it froze solid. "AHHH!" he cried again as he was hit in the head with... Shoes?

Teddy held the slipper which had hit him close enough to his face to see that it was in fact a slipper, then spent another twenty minutes figuring out how it came to fly into his head.

"You're not a morning person." Harry stated from the doorway. "I've lost my fourth year timetables, have you seen them?"

"You threw shoes at me!" Teddy accused his cheery godfather, who rolled his eyes.

"If you got up when I told you to the first time, OH!" Apparently Harry had remembered where the fourth year timetables were. "FOUND THEM!"

"Don't care," Teddy called back as he slipped the slipper on, locating the other one and slipping that on too then going into the bathroom.

Looking at himself in the mirror Teddy wondered what to do today. He was actually Teddy right now, as he usually was when he was asleep (or unconcious) his light brown hair was thin and chin length, his skin very pale, his eyes amber. He looked like his father, and Teddy loved that, but that was a secret between himself, his dad and Harry.

"Blue?" Harry asked, seeing his godson, "And red eyes."

Harry shook his head good naturedly. "I need to show you a color wheel sometime, cub."

Teddy ignored him.

"Have I got DADA today dad?" Teddy asked him some time after Harry had almost dropped his timetables in the fireplace.

"Nope, tomorrow. Do you have your prefect badge?" Harry asked him proudly, Teddy smiled and pointed to the red and gold badge on his robes, then stuck his red oak wand in his robe pocket and picked up his books. I'll see you tonight, cub," Harry dropped a kiss on his godson's head as he left the rooms, Teddy changed from his slippers to his school shoes and followed Harry to the great hall.


	23. Roadrunner Reference

Harry was sitting at the Head table between Minerva - who was all but gushing over Gil this past summer - and Neville who was excitedly telling Harry about his young daughter. Harry excused himself and hoisted his pile of timetables on the table and stood, lifting the stack of paper and walking down to the Slytherin table. The students all thanked him when he handed them their timetables, the fifth years groning when they realised they had herbology first and the third groaning becasue of Potions.

"Do I call you Dad or Professor at school?"

Harry jumped at the unfamiliar but, somehow, still familiar voice of his dark-haired daughter.

"Ug," Harry glanced between Malfoy and Sadie, uncertain. He looked at her hopeful face and was taken back to when Teddy asked that same question.

_"Dad, do I call you Harry or Dad?"_

"Professor, at school, Miss Malfoy." He replied curtly, giving her her timetable and continuing up the table, not looking at the infuriating High Inquisitor.

Harry didn't fancy anymore breakfast after that and headded for his classroom, he didn't have a class first up on Monday's and had nothing to mark or plan or hand out so he pulled his quill and parchment toward him after sitting at his office desk and began to write.

_Hey Ron,_

_Schools not to bad, first years don't seem like too much trouble and McGonagall has come up with a brilliant solution for Teddy's werewolf fear. Neville says hi, and I think I should mention his daughter is already showing signs of accidental magic, which has stopped the other Longbottoms from trying to force it out of her like they had Neville. Not that he would have let that happen, anyway. _

_Big news on the 'Malfoy is still a prat' front. He's been assigned as the Hogwarts High Inquisitor! What a load of bull-crap-_

"That's a personal letter, Potter, not work."

Harry was so startled he yelled out and threw his quill at Malfoy, ink splattered on his pale, pointy face and the blonde man sneered. Malfoy took a handkerchief out of his robe pocket and wiped his face, Harry managed to keep a straight face as the ink smudged, and Malfoy put the hanky back into his pocket leaving a large, black mark on his cheek. he looked ridiculous when he levelled Harry with a derisive sneer.

"I have nothing else to do." Harry explained, making no effort to hide his letter to Ron. "No class, no marking, no patrols, no head of House Duties to perform."

Malfoy strolled around the room, running a finger through the dust that had settled on the desks over the summer.

"That's not my job, Malfoy." Regaurdless of his words, Harry raised his wand and the dust all siphoned towards the tip where it disappeared, Malfoy being caught in a small dust storm being entirely unintentional. "But, I'm such a good professor I'll do it anyway."

Malfoy sneered at him, and brushed the dust off of his shoulder - leaving the rest of him still covered in it, then he sneezed, knocking his slick hair out of place so it fell in his eyes.

"Foolish wand-waving," He spat, and turned on his heel and left the room so quickly the dust stayed behind in his outline.

"Meep, meep." Harry said loudly, in his impersonation of the road runner he used to listen to from his cupboard at the Dursleys. He smiled at Malfoy's retreating back, and returned his attention to his letter to Ron.

* * *

Sadie Malfoy was sitting in the Slytherin Common room with Elwyn Dane and Pascal Zabini. Sadie was a tall girl, her hair was long and black and quite messy, her eyes were silver and currently focused on her Potions book. Elwyn was to her left, he was a tall boy for his age, he had freckles and dark brown hair and was quite slim.

Pascal had black hair as well and dark skin his hair was short, he was short and thin. While Sadie was actually doing her work and Elwyn had finished his, Pascal was doing a Rubik's Cube.

"Your mum will go ballistic if you fail first year." Elwyn told him, Sadie agreed, Aunt Pansy was always on about his studies.

"I won't fail first year for doing a Rubik's Cube, calm down." Pascal said calmly. "And it's a more useful skill than - Potions," He said leaning over her open textbook to read the topic. "Maybe not," Pascal corrected. "I thought you were doing History of Magic."

"God no," Elwyn told him, "I'm not writing that essay, I bet he doesn't even read them."

"I can't wait for Defense though," Pascal said, "Professor Potter and Teddy come to dad's shop all the time, he's so nice."

"No need to kiss ass where the teachers can't hear you, Pastel."

The three friends looked up at the three other first years standing over them. Loki Holt, Oscar Taylor and Angelus Palmer.

Angelus looked uncomfortable, his hands were shaking quite badly and he was standing a foot away from the others and looking at the wall, His dark hair was covering his glasses and his eyes downcast, hiding the blindness in the right eye. Oscar was a tall but thin boy, his hair was pale yellow and his eyes were nearly pink.

Loki had been the one to speak. He had been born on the first of September 2001 and so was the oldest in the year, twelve already. He had dark hair and tanned skin and was very large for his age, and had a horrible look in his eye. Overall, Palmer was a nervous wreck, Taylor was a slime-ball and Holt was a big bully.

"It's Pascal." Was how Pascal replied, "and I wasn't kissing behind, I was simply telling my friends about Professor Potter."

"I heard he was a Gryffindor," Oscar said, even his voice made him seem like a slime-ball. "What would he know about being cunning and sly?"

"He won the second wizarding war," Sadie pointed out. "Are you stupid? He's the most powerful wizard in the past century."

"I also heard he had some sort of filthy affair with your father, and you are their lovechild."

Sadie's confidince deflated.

"That's not true," She whispered, looking confused. "How did yo even know that?"

"It's all anyone talks about, you call him daddy, and look so much like him, but really, he fucked your dad-"

"Enough."

The five first years all turned to face Scorpius Malfoy. The nearly thirteen year old was glaring at the slimy, insect like boy.

"One," Scorpius began eloquently, "Your language is disgusting, and you're lucky I don't get the prefects, two, your information is _very_ wrong, and three, get the hell away from my sister."

"Half sister," Taylor said with a sneer, but he and his cronies ran off none-the-less.

"Thank-you Scorp." Sadie said, Scorpius gave her hand a squeeze and offered her a smile.

"No one messes with the Malfoys. You two alright too?" He asked Pascal and Elwyn, who both nodded gratefully.

"Alright, I'm off then, Maja, Noah, Tucker and Sunny are waiting in the Library for me."

Scorpius left them alone, and Sadie breathed a relief-filled sigh with her friends.

"I can't believe I have rumors about me on the first day," Sadie said, "I haven't told anyone Harry's my dad."

The boys nodded sympathetically.

"Scorpius will sort them out, and Professor Potter won't put up with people saying stuff like that." Elwyn told her. Sadie nodded.

"Anyway," She pulled her Potions essay back towards her. "You actually going to do yours?" Sadie asked Pascal, who had finished the Rubik's cube and was going for round two.

"Yeah, just let me try to beat my best time."

"We have Transfiguration soon," Elwyn reminded him, Pascal ignored his studious friends and continued his cubic puzzle, Sadie looked between her paper and Pascal's quick moving fingers, and decided to watch him instead.

* * *

"Er, Professor?"

Harry paused, Gil and Ezekiel had been checked out of the Hospital Wing this morning and Harry was checking on them, both of them looked happier than he had seen them in a while.

"Maxine," Harry greeted, "I got your note, I'm sorry but..."

"Oh," Maxine went red as a Weasley. "I, yeah, sorry, I just, sorry..."

"It's alright, don't be embarrassed, but we work together and I'm far to old for you."

"I understand," She stammered, "Yeah, of course, no worries."

Harry smiled at her. "You can do better than a grumpy old man like me."

She snorted at him, "You're thirty three."

Harry shrugged. "With two children, they each age me ten years."

"HEY!"

Teddy frowned at Harry as he came into the room.

"Teddy," Harry smiled charmingly at his godson. "How are you?"

"Better!" Teddy said, "I didn't run away from Gil and Ezekiel in the hall... well straight away."

"That's great Teddy."

"You have your first lesson with Professor McGonagall Sunday, don't you?" Maxine asked, Teddy nodded and went to sit on a Hospital bed. "Mr. Potter, um Professor, um, sorry, maybe Poppy should do your check up?"

"Check up?" Harry asked.

"Yes Harry," The three people all faced Poppy who came into the Hospital wing propper with her wand brandished. "Animagus transformation is dangerous, and I insist on making sure it will cause no health complications."

Harry nodded, sitting next to Teddy on the bed.

"Fair enough." Harry said, nodding to Teddy who nodded back.

The medi-witches both started waving their wands. Maxine's sparked a little, which Poppy frowned at and shook her head. Maxine blushed and smiled at Teddy.

"Magic isn't about loud bangs and fancy sparkles," She explained cheekily. Poppy continued to frown at her.

"You're fine, Harry," Poppy said, then went to oversee Maxine's work. Teddy's check up finished too and the Godfather and his son left for the Great Hall.

"I hate Potions," Teddy said conversationally, "They smell."

Harry readily agreed, and he sighed as he smelt lunch from the Great Hall.

"You'll be a fat old man after working here for a few years," Teddy said bluntly.

"Damn kid," Harry muttered. "I'm not fat, and I'm not old."

"Old man with kids..." Teddy said. "Oh Professor, let me heal you!"

"Shut up cub." Harry muttered.

"Harry and Healer Lane, sitting in a tree S.N.O.G.G.I.N.G."

"Potter!" Harry and Teddy were both in the door to the Great Hall when Malfoy barked at them, Teddy grinned and slipped off to Gryffindor Table as Harry turned to face the pale, pointy git.

"I believe I told you perusing a relationship with the Healer girl was inappropriate."

"I'm not! I didn't!" Harry said, "And what are you? The relationship auror?"

"The what?" Malfoy asked with a frown. "Nevermind," Malfoy _blushed_? "Just, remember to act appropriately around students and-"

"Father!" Malfoy smiled when he heard their daughters voice and she ran up to him.

"Good morning Sadie," Malfoy said kindly. They did not hug, simply smiled.

"Hi dad," Sadie said a little shy, Harry smiled at her too and the three stood akwardly for a moment before Pascal Zabini came up to Sadie and the two went into the great hall giggling. The appearance of their daughter had stopped his bully train in its tracks and he even offered Harry an awkward smile.

"Have an enjoyable lunch, then, Potter." he announced somewhat cooly before sauntering into the Hall.

"Malfoys," Harry cursed with a shake of his head.

"THEY'RE FABULOUS!" The loud shout scared the trousers off of Harry, he yelped and spun around wand drawn, once his brain caught up he grabbed his heart.

Behind him the third year Huffelpuff twins Sunny and Tucker Rowntree, each lavishly gesturing to Scorpius between them, who looked rather gobsmacked. The fourth in their group, a studious girl and also a twin Maja Max - her twin sister Irene was a painful, painful young lady though - was standing behind the loud twins and their victim giggling.

Harry looked at them and just nodded.

At least he won't run into any more Malfoys...

* * *

AN/ to LoonyGirl, thank you for your review, and I'm glad your enjoying the story. On the grammar, I know I miss things, I should get a beta but I don't want to. Hopefully I'll be able to run a grammar comb through this pretty soon, I do proof read, but its usually at some ridiculous hour of the morning so I can get updates out, hence mistakes. It's not too bad, my earlier stories need some serious TLC. Anyway, thanks for your review!


	24. The Malfoy Rules

Scorpius shook his head at the demented twins as the four of them entered the hall. The twin boys had triangle shaped faces and brown hair, Maja was a very pale girl with black hair and Scorpius was a spitting image of his father, all peroxide blonde hair and pale skin.

The quartet sat at Slytherin table.

"So what was that about anyway?" Maja asked.

"Father and Sadie were talking to him as we were going to the hall, didn't you see?"

"Oh," Maja answered. "And he doesn't like your sister and father?"

"Well my father acts weird around him," Scorpius pointed out, "and he doesn't know how to act around Sadie," Scorpius continued to explain. "And they're both weird."

"Of course," Sunny said, "Though the more obvious conclusion is _all_ Malfoy's are weird."

"Yes, yes indeed," Tucker agreed. Maja laughed a little, Scorpius just rolled his eyes.

"I'm not dignifying that with a response." The other three laughed harder at that. "Why do I associate with you peasants?"

The three other children all looked affronted.

"My brilliant mind, and their foolish comedy." Maja offered.

"Not foolish," Tucker said indignantly, "Our comedy is sophisticated and-"

"Foolish?" Scorpius asked.

"Hello," The four students greeted their fifth, a dark skinned boy by the name of Noah Austin, a Ravenclaw boy.

"Where have you been?" Tucker asked.

"The Library," He answered straightening his blue and bronze tie. The other four students laughed at him, but the pureblood boy missed the joke.

"Scorpius?"

Scorpius smiled as Sadie slid into the seat next to him.

"Sadie, you remember Maja, Tucker and Sunny?" She nodded, "And this is Noah Austin," Scorpius introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Sadie said politely to the boy, who nodded.

"Where's green house one?" Sadie asked him.

"You go out the hall and turn left, and you leave the castle, then you go left again and go all the way around past Hagrid's hut and the Astronomy tower. Big glass houses, you can't miss them." Scorpius told her kindly.

"Thank-you." Sadie said with a smile, and she jumped up and ran back to her friends.

"We have Defence today?" Sunny asked, Noah shook his head.

"Huffelpuff and Slytherins are tomorrow, and I have Defence next With Gryffindors."

Sunny and tucker looked quite dissapointed.

* * *

Sunday came both too quickly and not quickly enough for Teddy. He and Harry were standing in McGonagall's office while the stern woman glared them down.

"The animagus transformation is both dangerous and illegal, Teddy, you, however will be registered with the ministry -"

"You got permission?" Harry asked, Minerva nodded.

"They were hesitant, because he's only fifteen," she said, "but they came around. You're illegal still Harry.

Harry nodded, "I don't want the press finding out about it."

Minerva nodded and he shut up. She continued her lecture.

"Animagus transformations are difficult, dangerous and require a lot of discipline, perseverance and magic." She continued, "It also relies heavily on meditation and the basic manipulation of your magical core. No wands."

She had them both stand and shut their eyes and "reach for you magic," Harry's was easy to find, and Minerva punched him in the shoulder when a wind picked up in the room, Teddy was laughing.

"Alright, Harry," Minerva said with a sigh, "control your magic, connect with it and keep it under control. Teddy, be quiet, you haven't even connected with your magic!" Teddy stopped his giggling and snapped his eyes shut, Harry kept his eyes open and called his magic forward, then concentrated on keeping it there, but inactive.

Teddy huffed, "I can't do it!"

"Then you're a squib!" McGonagall snapped back, Harry was startled by her loud statement and jumped, causing the chair in front of him to explode.

"SHIT!" Minerva cussed, jumping away from the splintered chair. Teddy was trying not to laugh at her while Harry wasn't even hiding his amusement.

"I mean sweet mother of Merlin, get out, practice that, come back same time next week."

Teddy and Harry both left the room, as soon as the gargoyle jumped back into place behind them Teddy turned to Harry.

"Did you hear her?" Teddy asked, "McGonagll said shit!"

Harry turned on his godson, "doesn't mean you can say it!"

"Sorry dad," Teddy laughed.

Harry shooed Teddy away and his godson slung his book bag over his shoulder and headed towards the library, Harry headed down to his classroom on the third floor. He had a nice big pile of holiday homework to mark.

"Malfoy?"

Draco was glaring at a portrait, tapping his foot. He jumped when Harry called his name.

"This god damn portrait won't let me in."

"That portrait only lets students in," Harry reminded him, "and only Slytherin students."

"Thats what I've been trying to tell the snarky git!" The man in the portrait yelled. Harry laughed at Malfoy's expression.

"I was a Slytherin student!" Malfoy yelled at the portrait. It laughed at him again.

"Now your like, administration staff, I'm definitely not letting you in."

"Give up," Harry said, he grabbed Malfoy's shoulder and the blonde man turned to face him. Harry blushed and stepped back.

"Er, how've you been?" He asked as they started walking up the corridor. Malfoy shrugged.

"Fine," he replied, "and you?"

"Busy," Harry said honestly. There was an award pause. Malfoy coughed.

"Well, bye," he said, "don't forget you have an inspected lesson next Friday."

Harry nodded, a bit disappointed, though he couldn't tell you why, and he turned down a staircase that let out near his office.

* * *

"Sadie?"

Sadie turned and smiled at Pascal as he sat down in front of the common room fire.

"Where's Elwyn?" Sadie asked her friend, Pascal laughed a her.

"Still at dinner! You're not hungry?" He asked, she shook her head.

"No, no I couldn't eat." She answered, "don't much care to do this essay either." Sadie pushed her history book and parchment away from her. Pascal gave her a funny look.

"You're moping," he told her, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sadie answered, earning herself an eye roll from the dark skinned boy. "Really."

"You're lying, and poorly at that."

"Oh, sor-ry mister Auror pants."

"What?" Pascal asked, Sadie shook her head and swung around in the armchair, resting her head against the leather arm. "It's Harry isn't it?" Pascal asked, Sadie shook her head, with her eyes shut. "It is," Zabini pushed, Sadie's silver eyes snapped open.

"Father's really weird about it." Sadie said nochaulanty. "It doesn't matter."

"He's probably not had a good shag in a while." Pascal muttered, Sadie hit him on the arm.

"You're eleven," she told him, to which he nodded like an arse, "and that's my father, you're not supposed to say things like that about my father, what if I started making comments about your parents shagging?"

"Ew," Pascal said with a disgusted look.

"Exactly."

"Fine, sorry, I don't know, maybe your dad doesn't know how to act around Professor Potter?"

Sadie thought about it for a moment. "He's a Malfoy -"

"Don't start with the Malfoy Rules," Pascal said.

"The _what_?"

"Never mind, look, just because your father is a Malfoy, doesn't mean he's not human. He's probably just uncomfortable." Pascal reasoned, "he's just confused."

"It makes no sense," Sadie told Pascal, "Why can't they just be friends, and Harry can be my dad again?"

"Again?"

"Well," Sadie started, still moping on the lounge, "when I was a baby he was around all the time, before the accident and Scorp was hurt. I remember it a little, I remember Harry - dad." Sadie paused, for a very long time. "Daddy." she whispered.

"Does it really matter that much, Saide?" Pascal said, he had a very nervous expression on his face. "You have your father," Pascal reminded her, "and you can barely remember Professor Potter."

"He's my family." Sadie said, imploring. Pascal must understand. "And he's alone."

"He has Teddy Lupin," Pascal reminded her. "Teddy calls him dad."

"Shut up." Sadie said, he went to open his mouth again. "SHUT UP!"

"Whoa," Sadie blushed when she realized her yelling had gotten the common rooms attention. "Calm down there, typical Potter temper."

Neither Sadie or Pascal didn't know the name of the fifth year speaking to them, or the name of his friend.

"That might just be the side effect of her dad being a bum pirate," the unknown friend said crudley.

"I hope you realize you're talking about my uncle and your head of house there, Maitland," the girl who stood up for them addressed the crude boy. "And you're facts are embarrassingly wrong, run along and play with your little penis."

The near empty common room laughed at Maitland's expense, and he left red-faced with his friend trailing behind him.

"Maitlan McLain and Justin Jeiger," their kind defender told the two first years, "For future reference, and I'm Lana Greengrass."

"Thank you Lana," Sadie said, Pascal nodded. Lana smiled. "You're like family, Sadie, at least to me, I guess, please tell me if they bother you again. It's one thing to be a bully, but picking on the younger kids in your own house is low."

Sadie nodded. "Thanks again, Lana, um, I, er, Astoria, she was my mum." Sadie said with a nervous stutter. Lana gave her a look.

"Not my biological mother, I know that - I just, she _was_ my mum. DNA doesn't change that."

Lana nodded, "I didn't know if you- it doesn't matter, if she was your mum, I'm your cousin and DNA doesn't change that," and then the blonde fifth year left the two kids alone.

"I'm so tired of being picked on," Sadie said. Pascal looked quite confused but he nodded anyway, then Sadie remembered she had screamed at him and she teared up.

"Oh I'm sorry Pascal!" Sadie wiped her eyes and picked up all of her things and she ran from the common room.

Sadie couldn't really see where she was going, nor was she entirely sure she knew where she was, from the view out the window the fourth floor maybe. Her books were heavy and getting difficult to carry - she had no idea why she had grabbed them, honestly, and thinking this patch of floor looks suitably unused at that moment the young girl flopped against the stone wall, letting her three large textbooks tumble to the ground.

Sadie curled up and cried for a little bit, not entirely sure why, but she did, until she could hear the 'slap, slap, slap,' of running feet on stone floors and she nervously jumped up.

She didn't expect a large boy with black hair to run straight into her.

"SHIT!" he cursed, they rolled and he ended up awkwardly crushing her, his shoulder jabbing her in the stomach. "Aw shit- shit I mean shoot, sorry kid."

Sadie looked at the boy, who had jumped to his feet and was picking up her books for her.

"Merlin these weigh a tonne," he said, then gently tapped each book once with his wand, when he handed them back, they were much lighter.

"Oh, Sadie, hi!" he said awkwardly, before her eyes his hair went purple, red then back to black. "I'm Teddy, Teddy Lupin," he held his hand out for her to shake, which he did. "I'm your brother, um, sort of-"

She couldn't help it, all the feelings had overwhelmed her again and her bottom lip was wobbling violently. She tried to pull her hand away, but he wouldn't let her go, instead he pulled her out of the corridor and into a passageway behind a portrait she had no clue how he had managed to find.

"What's the matter, did I upset you? was it someone else? I've heard people are picking on you-"

"It's nothing, really Teddy," Sadie said, though even as she said it her voice caught and more tears fell.

"Sadie," Teddy paused, "I know Harry isn't really my dad, but I'm still your brother," He pulled her in for a hug.

"You mean," she hiccuped, "that when you said you were sort of my brother-"

"Oh!" Teddy cried, "yeah, I meant I'm adopted, not that you're not really Harry's daughter. He'd love to get to know you but Malfoy - sorry, Draco, um your father? Yeah, he's being weird about it."

Sadie nodded.

"I miss Harry," She said, her lip wobbled a little more and Teddy scooped her up in another hug.

"You can go and see him anytime, Sadie," Teddy said, "He says he doesn't have favorites, but you me and Scorp." Teddy nodded with a very significant glance. Sadie giggled at him.

"Thank you, Teddy," Sadie said. Teddy smiled.

"Anytime, sis, really, anytime, anything, and I'm serious, just go see dad, _our_ dad, he's missed you too."

Teddy changed his hair from black to blonde to orange and ducked out of the passageway, and continued to run through the corridors. Sadie hiccuped in her dark spot on the wall, then she stepped back, and squealed.

"Sadie!" The corridor lit up, and she was lucky the step was only a step and not a staircase, because her father wasn't fast enough to catch her and she landed on her bottom. "Sadie, are you alright?" He asked, helping her to her feet and absentmindedly waving his hand to pick up her spilt things. "You've been crying, whats the matter?" Draco asked her, straightening himself up as well, his lit wand casting an eerie glow in the corridor.

"I'll have to report this corridor to the department, it should be lit, with that step there-"

"Father," Sadie said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't speak to me like that." He snapped.

Sadie stepped back, her eyes were sore because she had been crying and she was covered in dust, her elbows and bottom were sore from the fall and she wanted nothing more than to have a parent who would hug her and tell her it would be alright. She wanted her mother.

She didn't tell her father this much, she told him nothing, she just left.


	25. Teddy Bear

"I spoke to Sadie today," Teddy told Harry, they were on their way to McGonagall's office for the next animagus lesson, Harry nodded.

"How is she?" Harry asked him.

"Confused, she told me she misses you," Teddy said, Harry looked shocked.

"She remembers me?" Harry asked, and Teddy nodded.

"Must do, that and her parantage isn't exactly a secret," Teddy said, "Its gone around the school she is your and Malfoy's daughter."

"Technically," Harry said, "I might be the reason she lived, but Astroia was her mother."

"I remember Aunt Astoria," Teddy said with a sad smile. "She was so nice."

Harry chuckled, "She really was, I miss her quite a lot. We became rather good friends."

"What, er," Harry paused as Teddy did, and faced his uncertain son. "What happened, to Sadie?"

"You mean how I ended up being her father?" Harry asked, Teddy nodded.

"I don't know, no one does."

"What does Aunt Hermione think?" Teddy asked.

Harry laughed at his godson. "Because Aunt Harmione is always right? She thinks, okay, when, er." Harry paused. "You know how dark wizards often feel the need to kill muggles and muggleborns?" Harry asked, the young boy nodded. "Well a long time ago, there was a reason for that, and I'm talking about before Hogwarts long ago, muggles and wizards often wouldn't have healthy babies. The ones that were born, were believed to be like Sadie, really having four parents. The idea is, if you have a strong parent and a weak parent, and I'm talking about their magic, a baby can't, er, work, because it's magical core gets rejected by the mother. If there's another baby out there being, er, rejected by the mother then somehow, the two babies, um, help each other?" Hermione had explained it to him, but it didn't mean he usnderstood it. Harry scratched his head, he didn't really like thinking about it, him and Malfoy being parents. Weird.

"You have no idea what you're talking about?" Teddy asked him, Harry nodded.

"Scorpius was born, so that theory ultimately makes no sense." Harry said with a shrug. "The important thing is, is that Astoria knew what was going on and didn't want me to miss out. Biologically shes my and Malfoy's daughter, but Astoria will always be her mother." Harry shrugged, "it would be much less complicated if I wasn't Harry Potter, honsestly, it probably wouldn't have happened if I wasn't Harry Potter."

Teddy laughed at him and shoved him up the corridor.

"Alright, so, the point is, you love any kid you're given," Teddy was laughing, so Harry didn't think he was hurting, and Harry just sighed, following his green haired godson to the Headmistress' office.

* * *

"It will be hard, until you can guess what you are, but the ability is there, so just concentrate." McGonagall told them both. The boys in front of her nodded and Teddy closed his eyes.

"Should we think transfiguration thoughts?" He whispered to Harry, who laughed, both of them earned a glare from Minerva. Then Teddy sneezed. Harry jumped at the sound and looked at his godson, and laughed.

"What?" Teddy asked, feeling his face, he touched his nose and jumped back, startled, hands reaching for it straight away. "My nose!" He exclaimed. Indeed in the center of his face he had a black, wet, dog-like nose.

"Anything else?" Minerva asked, Teddy shook his head.

"Think doggy thoughts," Harry advised, causing Minerva to crack a little smile.

Teddy shut his eyes again and Harry went back to his concentrating.

"Urgplhhf!"

Harry couldn't stop laughing this time, for Teddy had a full set of canine teeth in his still human mouth, meaning he absolutely couldn't speak.

"SSuuuufff" Teddy whined at Harry, who only stopped laughing (so loudly) when Minerva glared at him.

"I suggest you keep working to change your head, Mr. Lupin, please, quietly." Teddy shut his eyes again, Harry still smothering his laughter in the corner. Minerva gave him a stern glare and Harry pulled a serious face once more.

Harry's concentration was short lived when there was a pitiful growl from the other side of the room and Teddy was wobbling about, his head completely changed into that of a big brown bear.

"Mr. Lupin -" McGonagall started, but Teddy's head changed back to normal. "Very, _very_, well done."

"I have a headache," Teddy said, Harry laughed.

"Enough for today, we'll go get some dinner Teddy-Bear." Harry said, he thanked Minerva and the two left, Teddy groaning about his nick name all the way.

* * *

Harry yawned as Teddy gave his wall the password, the rocks opened up and Teddy ran through to Harry's rooms, where another boquet of floweres was innocently sitting on his coffee table.

"Shit," Harry cursed, Teddy laughed at him.

"I thought you told healer Lane no?" Ted asked, flicking the tag open, "For Harry." he read, "awwww."

"Shush you," Harry said, glaring at the flowers. "I did tell her no!"

"Can't take a hint," Teddy said, "Unless they're not from her," Teddy suggested. Harry shrugged looking at the flowers, they were blue and yellow, and looked like grumpy faces sticking their tongue out, but he didn't know the name.

"Doesn't matter, I'm not interested," Harry vanished the flowers and sighed. "I have too much going on right now."

"Are you ever going to get married again, dad?" Teddy asked, Harry shrugged.

"I doubt it," He said quiety. "I'm so old."

Teddy rolled his eyes and headded to bed. "You're just cut becasue you're not a ladies man, like me."

Harry snorted as the boy traipsed off to bed. "Ladies man," He muttered, shutting his bedroom door, "Yeah right."

Harry slept suprisingly peacefully, and he woke up to the sound of his alarm ringing, and a very nasty smell. He kept his eyes shut and batted at the clock, eyes scrunched up and nose wrinkled, then he felt hot, wet breath on his face.

He opened his eyes to face an angry, smelly brown bear, which growled long and deep, and Harry squealed like a little girl and leapt out of bed.

The bear was not a bear, but a fifteen year old- part animagus with a bear head, who changed back with a little difficulty and began to laugh.

"Bad bear," Harry scolded, "No salmon for you!"

"What?" Teddy asked weakly, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. Then he proceeded to mimic Harry's squeal and began laughing again.

"Bad bear," Harry said again, and he marched out of the room to have a shower.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was pacing.

"Malfoy's don't pace." He sniffed indignantly to nobody. Draco's thoughts were racing.

"Father I miss daddy."

_Father I miss daddy_

_Father I miss daddy_

Sadie misses Potter. If Draco were perfectly honest, he missed Potter too. His eleven year old self was right, Potter is an amazing friend to have. But Draco lied a lot, and therefore was not perfectly honest.

If Draco was really perfectly honest, he didn't want to be Potter's _friend. __That_ sounded seedy even in his own mind.

"Urgh!" Draco was ready to rip his own hair out. He needed a friend right now, he needed Astoria.

"You okay Malfoy?"

Draco jumped at the unfamilliar voice and spotted Neville carrying a large pot of dirt up the corridor. Draco didn't like dirt.

"Fine," he snapped.

"You were ripping your own hair out, look I'll put the past behind us, if you want a friend. Everyone could use a friend."

The herbology professor shrugged and continued his trek down the corridor with his pot of dirt.

"Wait." Draco blerted before he could stop himself, but Longbottom turned and beamed.

"I've got some dirt right now, but come by after dinner and we can have tea or something." He offered, Draco nodded somewhat distractly.

He was having a tea party with Longbottom?

* * *

"How's Hogwarts treating you so far Little Malfoy?" Teddy saw her walking by herself and decided ot keep her company. She smiled brightly at him.

"It's wonderful." She told him, "Homework is pants, but everything else is brilliant."

"You still should do your homework, it's-"

"Please don't, Father lectures me enough."

Teddy chuckled at her.

"Have you spoken to Harry yet?" Teddy asked her. She shook her head.

"I can't, My father is acting weird, it's just too complicated."

"Father is Mr. Malfoy isn't it?" Teddy clarified, Sadie nodded.

"You can call him Draco, didn't you name a toy after him when you were little?"

Teddy blushed.

"Yes, but I was a baby." He muttered, Sadie giggled at him.

"I like being your sister," She said then, and gave him a hug, awkwardly trapping his schoolbooks between them.

"I like being your brother too, Sadie," He said quietly.

"Do you think we'll ever get to be a propper family?" Sadie asked, Teddy was quick to frown.

"No fun being a conventional family is it?"

She giggled at him, but the question bothered him for the rest of the day - so much so, he forgot he was no longer sleeping in the Gryffindor dorms.

"Teddy!"

"Teddy?"

Teddy froze at the unfamiliar sound of Gil and Ezekiel's voices. They must have sensed his hesitation becasue they both froze too.

Teddy shut his eyes and took a deep breath - it didn't help. As soon as his eyes closed he saw the wolves jumping for his throat, and opened his eyes to screaming.

"HOLY FUCKING I CAN'T EVEN!"

The exclamation came from Gil, which surpriesed everyone - including Gil. Teddy looked at his hands. No. Paws and claws.

"WOW!" He exclaimed, though it came out as more of a deep "UUUUN!"

"TEDDY WHAT?" Ezekiel shouted. Teddy looked at them and blinked. Gil smiled wide.

"He's an animagus!" Gil said, bounding forwards and patting the brown bear. Teddy sat down with an ooopf noise and looked at his friends. He beamed at them, he wasn't frightened anymore - he had a way to protect himself from werewolf attacks, and the werewolf's bite.

"Smiling is terrifying, Ted. please stop." Ezikiel pleaded. Teddy laughed at him, another unusual sound made by his bear voice instead, it was like 'pppft pffrt ugh'.

"Change back!" Gil said. Teddy lifted his paws up and shrugged. The boys laughed. So Teddy growled at them.

"Maybe we should get Harry?" Gil asked, "Or Aunt Minerva."

Teddy nodded.

"How are we going to get a bear anywhere. He can't be seen?" Ezekile asked with a concerned look at the rather large brown bear. Teddy offered a strangled noise and a shrug.

"Big help you are, Ted." Gil said to him.


	26. Run, Run, Runaway

Ezekiel and Gil spared no expense when it came to laughing at Teddy desperately trying to navigate in his large, unfamilliar body, made even funnier by the fact the trio were actually trying to sneak, an endevour which was infinately unsucessful.

"What are you doing?"

"UUUGRRRRRHHP!"

Teddy stuck his head around the corner when he recognised Sadie's voice, and coming face to face with a large brown bear startled the little girl, but she didn't run. She looked between Ezekiel, Gil and Teddy and sighed.

"Teddy is a bear. Why is Teddy a bear?"

"We're taking him to Professor Potter."

"Not in his office. I was just looking for him." Sadie said.

"Unggrhf?" Teddy managed, Sadie looked at him.

"Quiet you." Sadie ordered her brother. "I'll go down to the quiddich pitch, I think he's there, you take Paddington here and wait in Dad- Professor Potter's office."

"Alright," Ezekiel said, "See you soon." The two boys continued to smuggle their friend through the castle until finally they reached the Defence Professor's office.

"Uuuunrh!" Teddy said nudging Ezekiel in the side of the face with his nose. Ezekiel cried out and wiped his face on his sleeve.

"We missed you too Ted," Gil told the bear with a smile, he recieved a paw to the head for his efforts.

"Hello boys."

The trio turned to see Professor Potter enter the room, Sadie close on his heels, he looked at his godson and laughed.

"Should have paid closer attention to McGonagall hey cub?"

"Grrrmpf!" Teddy growled, Harry waved his wand and in a quick blue flash, Teddy was a human again. He faced Ezekiel and Gil with a smile.

"Minerva was right then," Harry asked, "Now you have a way to defend yourself from werewolves you're not frightened?"

Teddy nodded happily, looking between Gil and Ezekiel with a large, goofy smile.

"Go on you three," Harry said, waving them from the room. "I'll have the house elves move you back into the dorms tonight Teddy. And try not to go bear again, not until we can get Minerva to help you change back!"

"Thanks Dad!" Teddy gried, running from the room with his two friends. Harry smiled as they left and turned to his daughter.

"Miss Malfoy what can I do for you?"

Sadie gave Harry a shy smile and walked forward to give him a hug.

"I miss you, Dad."

* * *

Scorpius knocked on his father's office door. Draco Malfoy looked up, instantly setting aside his stack of very official looking documents and leaving his quill next to the pile.

"Hello Scorpius," Draco said, "What can I do for you?"

"What's going on between you and Professor Potter?" Scorpius asked, Draco frowned.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"You act so weird around him," Scorpius said, "I remember you and him, from before the accident, Dad, I remember you used to be friends."

"I," Draco paused. Looking unsure for a minute. "There's nothing there, we just, look, Scorpius a lot happened in thoes years you were asleep-"

Draco stopped talking when Scorpius stood.

"I thought for a minute you were going to answer me honestly. I miss Mr. Potter and Teddy, and I know Sadie want's to know her other father too." Scorpius turned on his heel and left. When he was alone again, Draco did not get angry like one would expect. He became sad, pushing himself away from his work and he left the room completely.

* * *

"Maxine," Harry was just in the door of the Hospital Wing, and he coudn't see any students, but didn't want to be too loud just in case - Poppy would have his head if he woke up a sick kid.

"Professor?" Maxine Lane hurried up the wing, more crisp white sheets in her hands.

"Maxine, I'm sorry its come to this, but I do not want to be with you, please stop sending me flowers."

"What?"

"Stop sending me flowers, there's nothing here, you are too young and I'm just not interested-"

"I didn't send you any flowers." She said, still looking confused. "I haven't sent you anything bar that one note." She blushed heavily, "Asking you out, I'm sorry, I know-"

"No Maxine," Harry blushed too. "Someone has been leaving flowers in my room, I just assumed-"

"It wasn't me. I left you alone like you asked me. That does explain all the 'I'm not interested' notes. I'll admit I was actually beginning to think you were a real ass-hole."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed-"

"Its alright, Professor," Maxine said, offering him a tight lipped smile. "I'm seeing someone now anyway, he works for Rosmerta in Hogsmede."

"That's, er, great, I'm going to go, sorry Maxine."

It took all of Harry's self control not to run from the hospital wing, when he got into the corridor he broke into a very fast walk and ploughed headfirst into Draco. No. Malfoy. Surprisingly, Draco apologised quickly, helped Harry regain his balance and continued on his own war path. Perfectly happy not fighting with Malfoy today, Harry continued on his own way.

* * *

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Draco was ready to rip his hair out. "Stupid Potter. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"You alright Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco jumped and shrieked he was so startled by the green haired Teddy Lupin.

"Fine, shit, fine. Shit, sorry, bum, stay in school kid." Draco took a deep breath and looked at Teddy.

"Mr. Lupin-"

"Teddy." Teddy corrected.

"Mr. Lupin."

"You called me Teddy when I was little."

"I haven't seen you in years." Draco told the kid.

"Not my fault." Draco scowled at the little Gryffindor. "Why did you stop being friends with Harry?" Teddy asked him, "And me?"

Draco was going to offer up a famous biting remark, and was caught up in something much more profound.

"Do you -" he gulped. "Do you remember Scorpius?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, I talk to him at school a lot, and I know we used to play together before the accident, and Dad took me into Mungo's to visit every week."

"Every week?" Draco asked. Teddy just nodded, but there was a cute little ball of dread starting in Draco's stomach. It made him feel sick.

"I'm a moron." Draco told Teddy before he left.

Teddy looked at the door the man had left through and rolled his eyes. Then began the long trek down to Harry's rooms to talk to his father.

* * *

"Gil?"

"Aunt Minerva you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes," Minerva gestured to the seat in front of her desk and Gil sat down, she moved around the desk and sat down next to him. "I believe I haven't been doing a very good job of taking care of you." She said to him gently, holding up a hand to stop his objections. "Mr. Bristow's House is an orphanage for children who have had violent and abusive pasts. I doubt you are any different and I need to help you in that respect as well-"

"No." Gil stood, shocking her, "I don't need to, I don't want to remember. I'm not going back, I won't, I won't-"

Minerva reached a hand out, but stopped when her charge began to panic even more.

"I want you to be able to move on, Gil." Minerva said gently, "If you won't talk to me, then Harry or Neville or we can hire a professional-"

There was a light knock on the door, which startled Gil beyond rational thought and a shock wave of magic came from him. Minerva cried out as she was knocked to the ground and the door flew open. Neville stepped through with his wand drawn and Gil ran.

"Minerva," Harry and Neville were at her side when she woke up in the Hospital wing. She groaned, her back was aching and her head was sore. Poppy handed her a vial, which she took without even looking at it.

"Where's Gil?" She asked tiredly.

"He's done a runner," Harry said, "I've got Teddy watching the map for him and Hagrid's in the forest with Lauressa, Yvette and Ignatious."

"I've already been up to Windswept, he's not there," Neville told her gently. Minerva nodded.

"I tried to get him to talk about his past, he-"

"I know what happened." Harry said quietly, "I'll talk to him about it when we find him. Minerva," Harry grabbed her arm gently and made her stay laying down on the bed. "I'm going to call the auror office now and pull in some favours, then Neville and I are going to go look for him ourselves as well, we'll find him, you have to stay here."

Minerva nodded. "Where's Poppy? What happened?"

The healer came forward and held Minerva's hand, Neville and Harry stood to leave.

* * *

"Father," Scorpius was getting a headache from his father's insistent pacing. "Father please what the hell are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Would you just tell me?"

"No," Draco snapped without a pause in his pacing.

"You obviously need a friend right now," He said, "Why don't you go talk to Harry?"

Draco stopped pacing, turned to Scorpius with an enraged look, paused for a moment, then left the room.

* * *

"He's not in the castle, Dad I looked everywhere!" Teddy was near hysterics, Harry frowned. He didn't go home, he didn't go to the orphanage, he wasn't in the castle or on the grounds.

Where would Gil feel safe?

Harry held Teddy's shoulder and told him not to worry before he flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. He moved his way over to Ned, who was wiping down the bar humming an unfamiliar tune. Ned looked up and smiled.

"What can I do for you Auror Potter?"

"I'm looking for a boy, 'bout yay high," Harry indicated with his hand, "Scarred up pretty bad, dark hair."

"Yep, he came in not long ago. Paid me a couple Galleons, for a couple nights."

"What room?" Harry asked.

"Twelve." Ned replied, Harry turned towards the stairs and jogged up them, needing to climb another flight before he reached room twelve.

"Gil?" He asked when he knocked on the door.

"Yeah?"

Harry pushed open the door and saw a room exactly like the one he had stayed in after he inflated Aunt Marge. Gil was sitting on the floor, his knees pulled up to his chest.

"Is she alright?" Gil asked, Harry nodded and the little boy relaxed.

"I knew this would happen," Gil wailed. Harry went to sit by the boy.

"Because the same thing happened to your parents?" Harry asked. Gil looked shocked for a moment but nodded his head miserably.

"I know it's hard for you to believe, Gil, but Minerva cares about you, and not becasue she has to either. She chose to take you in, both Neville and I offered to as well."

"Only becasue I was bitten-"

"Maybe," Harry said, "Maybe it was just the excuse Minerva needed."

Gil looked at him.

"Doesn't matter, she'll hate me now-"

"Gil," Harry said, "You're being ridiculous. She will be angry because you ran away, but not because of your accidental magic-"

"I'm a freak she-"

"Never say that." Harry said. "Its wrong, accidental magic is apart of growing up in the wizarding world, and repressing it like you have over the years - like we both have, in your childhood causes accidental magic to never go away, at least not without help."

"I'm not going back, I'm dangerous -"

"You're a child, who has had a hard life and needs help. You don't want to hear it but its the truth. And you live in a world where you're not a freak or outcast anymore, you have to talk about your past, Gil. You have to be able to move on."

"I don't-"

"I'm offering you my help." Harry told him, "Not today, not for a while, if you want, but it will happen, and you can talk to me and I'll do my best to help you through it. We have a lot in common, Gil, I can help, I want to help. Alright?"

Gil nodded reluctantly. Harry stood.

"Come on, back to Hogwarts then?"

Once again Gil nodded, standing up as well and they went downstairs to use the floo.


	27. Daily Prophet Report Feb 2009

_**Harry Potter - The Truth From The Source**_

_The Wizarding World, and, in particular Daily Prophet readers are well aware of the current smear campaign running against former Auror and current Professor Harry Potter. Not only have the series of lengthy articles rudely invaded his personal life and splashed his painful past on the front page for all to see, Harry himself has been verbally attacked with speculation and false accusations. This reporter wants to set the record straight, and so Mr. Potter has agreed to hold an interview with me for my readers, so the truth will finally be known._

_"My home life wasn't good," Harry admits, "Before Hogwarts, I was kept in a cupboard and denied food, but I was never beaten - hit, yes, but never beaten."_

_Harry looks quite uncomfortable talking about himself like this, so I reassure him it's like ripping off a plaster and he agrees to answer my questions._

_"Hogwarts was rough, for me, It's true I caused the death of Quirrel - but he was trying to strangle me at the time and had Voldemort sticking out the back of his head... Parseltongue, it was something I, er, 'caught' from Voldemort when he tried to kill me as a baby, I lost the ability when Voldemort died... Sirius Black, He was my godfather and a good man, he died trying to save me, and was proven innocent after the war. The Tri-Wizard cup was made into an unregistered portkey by one of Voldemort's followers. Neither Cedric or I knew that. We, in the last bit of the maze, we helped each other out. I said we should take the cup together. The only reason I survived was because they needed me alive for that first bit, and then it was pure luck... Fifth year was hard, Voldemort was using magic to mentally torment me all year - nightmares, mostly, and the Ministry were desperately trying to discredit Albus Dumbledore and myself rather than face the truth that Voldemort had returned."_

_So far everything Harry has said can be backed up by our history records, and Harry himself obviously was reliving these memories as he generously recounts them for my readers._

_"After that- well, I was present when Albus Dumbeldore was killed, and that incident is already on record as it was needed to clear Severus Snape's name and during 1997 and 1998 I was working with Ron and Hermione to bring down Voldemort for good."_

_Harry refused to elaborate, but the Gringotts Break in and the Battle of Hogwarts, two of the major points made against his integrety, were hardly Harry's fault and he had indeed answered for them._

_"The after war trials were - well a challenge " Harry tells us, "I was present for most of them, my own, which were for seven counts of Murder and Endangerment, four counts for destruction of historically significant property, and three for theft. I was cleared of all charges. The details are with the Ministry and are not available for public viewing but the evidence is convincing enough for them to let me join the Aurors. The other trials I atteneded were as a witness, victim or a charachter reference and I attended all trials I was asked to, as well as the Malfoy's - Draco and Narcissa, who were both found innocent of direct involvement oh, blah, blah, blah." Harry waved away the legal details but what should be pointed out here is even after defeating You-Know-Who, Mr. Potter left no one to be unjustly punished._

_Now we come to the part which Harry really does have to answer for, the murder of his aunt._

_"Aunt Petunia was a good woman," Harry started with, becoming very somber. "And I do regret how it all ended - with the Dursley's I mean. I was surprised to recieve a letter from my cousin, he was apologetic, but pointed out that despite everything else we are family - could have been as close as brothers if he wasn't such a twat, oh, sorry can I say twat in the paper? Anyway, I didn't hesitate to accept his offer and I met him at his home for lunch, I was very uncomfortable at first, he was too, and you must understand Dudley had always been terrified of magic - just because his parents were so prejudiced, he didn't understand it - he was living in a half Wizard half Muggle house. They had an old pet kneazle at the time and there was a sneakoscope on the mantle and moving pictures - you don't understand because you don't know Dudley how I know Dudley. Finally something just snapped and I hugged him, we were okay after that, brothers, like he said, or starting to fix that relationship, at least. Then Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia dropped by unannounced, both Dudley and I panicked, making Thelma panic and draw her wand. Then Petunia and Vernon ended up facing two fully trained wizards in the one place I believe they never expected them. Petunia seemed to recover quickly but Vernon threw himself at me, I was going to Stun him but Dudley stopped me, Petunia tried to stop Vernon and that was it for me._

_ It was the most terrifying thing I've ever experienced, because I knew what was going to happen but I couldn't stop it. My vision went red and I tried to run - but it was no use. It wasn't a fiery explosion, it was a shockwave - just to get the people away from me. Dudley had Grabbed Thelma and protected her but Vernon pushed Petunia towards me, she flew back and hit the wall and that corner of the house gave out and fell. I went to her straight away but - even with my Auror training I knew I couldn't help her - she knew I couldn't help her. I was in tears and she just reached for my hand and told me she was sorry. She was jealous and scared and should never have treated me how she had - this wouldn't have happened if she was a better person." Harry had to stop at this point, and I gave him a minute before prompting him to speak again._

_"The Police and Aurors and paramedics all got there - I, um, Petunia was dead already, Vernon was unconscious but he would be fine, Dudley and Thelma had a few scrapes and bruises. I will admit to avoiding Dudley. Anyway, I was put on trial for murder and was given a pardon due to accidental magic - I had no control, like a child, it wouldn't have been lethal had I been younger than eleven. The fact that I am still experiencing incidents of accidental magic is due to my treatment of a child and I was advised by the court to see a healer about it and a mind healer, I've done both."_

_I asked what they found of course, causing Harry even more discomfort but he agreed to answer. _

_"I understand why you'd ask, and I understand the public may believe they have a right to know. My magical core was unstable, all that means is that while a regular person usually reaches their full potential by 16 or 17, I still haven't, both because I have a lot of magic and because it was repressed as a child. The mind healer found signs of Post Traumatic Stress from the war and some other problems because of my childhood, but most certainly not my being a sociopath. There it is, then." Harry concluded. "My life for everyone to stick their big noses in."_

_Harry thanked me for setting the record straight and took his leave, leaving me absolutely breathless. All this reporter can say is how dare anyone put him through more pain than he has already been through?_


	28. A Muggleborn Friend

Draco hesitated for the umpteenth time, his hand hovering mere inches away from the wooden door.

He pulled his fist down again, then brought it back up. Only to hesitate once more.

He did squeal and jump back when it snapped open.

"You're doing it wrong," Hermione Granger said dryly. "You have to make a sound with your -"

"Yes, Granger, I got it."

"Weasley."

"What?" Draco snapped again, sneering, regreting every second of this.

"Weasley. I married."

"Oh," Draco stood there, wanting to leave _so_ badly.

"Why are you here Malfoy?" Hermione asked, "I have children to feed and wash and put in bed.

"I need a friend," Draco blurted before he could stop himself. "I'm sorry I'll go."

"Wait," Granger called, "Come in."

Draco was uncomfortable in the Muggle-Wizard crossbreed house, and he sat primly on the lounge while Hermione reddied her young children for bed.

"Tea?" She offered, to which he nodded.

Back in a few minutes with the ten year old and her little brother asleep, Granger handed him a teacup and sat on a lounge opposite him.

"Scraping the bottom of the barrel of friends are we?" Granger asked. "Its been ten years."

"I'm sorry, I know, I'm being selfish, I, who I really need right now is my mother, and Longbottonm wasn't there for tea."

Granger's expression softened. "What's troubling you, Draco?"

"I've messed up," he admitted, now he was in Granger's living room sipping tea his sanity finally cracked, and he wanted his internal conflicts to be someone else's problem. "After the accident I pushed everyone away, friends, and family."

"I thought your mother-"

"Harry, Harry and Teddy." Draco said quickly. "Harry was like a third parent to my kids, and Teddy, I thought of him as my own, he, I, I just couldn't, Astoria died, and I just had to keep my kids to myself, I, I couldn't lose Sadie, I believed Scorpius to be dead, and after he woke, and He was at Hogwarts and Harry was back in my life and I just, I was a dick to him, I didn't, I already felt so seperated from Scorpius and I didn't want the same thing to happen to Sadie. I was afraid."

"Understandable. Stupid, but understandable."

"Harry was always there, he was always helping me and I felt so guilty becasue Astoria just died and I was thinking about life without her before-"

"What?"

Draco's words finally caught up with his brain and he blushed, then gulped down his too- hot tea in an effort to scald the stupidity from his mouth.

Granger was shaking her head.

"It makes _so_ much more sense now. You have feelings for Harry, _romantic_ feelings."

"Don't ever emphasise that word like that again, Granger."

Hermoine rolled her eyes. "Weasley," She said, "Anyway, you should go for it."

"What?"

"Go. for. it." She said condesendingly. "Ask him out."

"I can't just ask him out!" Draco cried, Granger rolled her eyes again.

"Sure you can," She said, "We're all adults here."

"But," Draco grumbled. "Ive been sending him anonymous flowers all year."

Granger giggled.

"He'd hate that."

"I know." Draco said, "I just, once I was around him again, even just in Scorp's first year when I was hearing about him in letters I just-"

Draco stopped, as Granger was laughing at him, holding her ribs and waving her hand in submission.

"You got it bad," She huffed, "Just ask him out, nothing to lose right?"

Draco narrowed his eyes and stood. Placing the cup on the small table near the arm of the lounge.

"Thank you for the tea," he said, then he left, Granger didn't follow him to the door, so he got to listen to her giggles all the way up the hall.

* * *

**2007 - Six Years Ago**

"It's been a decade," Dudley said. Thelma, his fiancee was dusting, again, a tea tray was on their table and the rude mirror in the bathroom was silenced.

"It'll be fine Dudley." Thelma told him, she grabbed his hand and led him to the sofa. "He's your family."

"Exactly, he never should have been treated how he was. You know I had a made up game called 'Harry Hunting' right?" Dudley thought this was a horrible idea. Sure he didn't have a lot of family, Aunt Marge had died two years ago, Thelma was an Orphan from the first wizarding war and had no family.

"Family is important to him. He'll understand."

"Or He'll give me another tail."

"What?" Thelma asked him with a frown. Dudley blushed.

"Er, nothing."

The two adults looked around at the knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Thelma said with an indulgent smile.

Dudley waited in their sitting room nervously. It had been a decade. Introductions were exchanged from down the hall and he heard the door close. There were footsteps.

"Harry."

Whatever Dudley thought he expected it was not this man before him. Harry was fairly tall and fit, his hair still messy, though the faded scar could be seen through his fringe - something Petunia was careful to cover. He wore wizards robes, long black ones, and Dudley could see his wand strapped to his forearm in the sleeve.

"Dudley," Harry greeted him uncomfortably, offering his hand to shake, which Dudley shook. This man killed Lord Voldemort. He hunted Dark Wizards for a living. He was rich and famous. He was a powerful wizard that Dudley had tormented as a child.

"Dudley?" Thelma tapped his shoulder. Dudley shook away his racing thoughts and offered Harry a tight smile, showing him the kitchen.

"Tea, pumpking juice, anything?" Dudley offered his cousin. Dudley frowned when they got into the kitchen. "THELMA?"

"YEAH HUN?"

"WOULD YOU SUMMON THE GOOD TABLECLOTH?"

Dudley jumped when Harry started laughing.

"Er, Harry?" Dudley asked, reaching out and catching the flying item, spreading it over the table.

"It's good to see you, Dudley," Harry said, "I'm glad we're family. I'll have tea thanks."

Dudley nodded unsure and Harry pulled him in for a quick hug, it was a better reception than Dudley had ever hoped to receive from his cousin.

"How did you meet Thelma?" Harry asked, Dudley laughed.

"Supermarket," He said, "and we got engaged recently, she came up to me and sat me down and gave me a cuppa, and told me she was a witch." Dudley laughed, "and she was nearly in hysterics, explaining the Ministry and Hogwarts and the hidden world and everything. I just started laughing, hysterical laughter. She kept trying to convince me it was the truth, and I just stopped her and told her you were my cousin."

Harry laughed at that.

"She squealed like a little girl and started asking all these questions." Dudley shook his head, "I had to own up about what a dick I was when we were growing up. I regret that, you should know too Harry, but you're some of the only family I have left now, there's mum and dad of course, but Marge is dead. And I know we're the only family you have left, I thought I should try to make things right."

Harry nodded, "I appreciate it, Dudley." He said with a smile, "I'll have to introduce you to my godson sometime."

"Dudders!" Thelma ran into the kitchen as Petunia's voice filled the house.

"Mum and dad." Dudley said, Thelma looked between the cousins as the elderly Mr. and Mrs Dursley entered the room. Harry was abviously paicking, Dudley didn't know what to do and it was obvious his parents were shocked. Thelma drew her wand.

The elderly Mr. and Mrs Dursley were obviously not expecting this reception. Their much hated godson having a rather large panic attack, their not-as-normal as they thought daughter in law had them at wand point and, unfortunatley it was Vernon who recovered first.

"FREAK!" Vernon yelled and hurled his 230lb body towards his unsuspecting nephew.

"DAD Don't!" Dudley pushed his father out of the way and grabbed Thelma. Harry was shaking, he had fallen and retreated to the corner. Vernon growled from his place on the floor. Petunia stood, shaking slightly. She gulped.

"Harry?" She walked towards the man on the floor, who was not breathing properly and had his eyes screwed shut. Vernon was screaming death threats from behind his wife.

"Mrs Dursley, don't" Thelma said. Dudley panicked, he made to step forwards but Thelma pulled him back. Thelma was yelling at Petunia, who was till reaching out to help Harry, Vernon wobbled back onto his feet, yelling drivel at the top of his lungs, and there was a flash, a tearing sound, and then complete and unnatural silence.

Dudley's ears were ringing, Thelma was holding her head in her hands, Dudley stumbled back through the door frame into the shattered lounge room. The jiprock had been blasted off of the walls, the telly was shattered and the lounge was overturned, there was a thick layer of dust. Harry was breathing heavily from his spot on the floor, Vernon was against the far wall, coughing and muttering.

"Harry?"

Harry jumped, up, dashing to Petunia's side.

"Aunt Petunia, I-"

She smiled at him.

"Your mother used to do that all the time," Petunia smiled, "when she was little, and I always pushed, Harry, don't blame yourself, Dudley is right, we're your only family and we treated you so, so badly. I am sorry, but I never expected you to forgive me, Harry please don't blame yourself for this.

There was a crack, and before Harry, Dudly or anyone else could move the corner of the house Harry and Petunia were under collapsed with a horrible sliding noise.

"THELMA CALL THE AMBULANCE!" Dudley screamed down the hall. There were pops outside and men rushed into the house, he pushed them away from himself, pointing to the collapsed corner.

"There, they need help, not me."

The rubble was cleared, more men came in and carried his father out, Thelma led him from the house and made him sit down.

"Mr. Dursley?" Dudley looked up to see a man in green robes standing before him.

"Are they alright?"

"Your father is injured, and has been sent to the muggle hospital," Dudley nodded, as soon as Vernon was concious enough he had started screaming about freaks and unnatural rubbish and all sorts of nonsense. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dursley, your mother has passed away."

Dudley just nodded, he had expected this, Thelma's hand went to her mouth and she whimpered.

"H-Harry?" Dudley managed.

"He's unconscious, and has been taken to St. Mungo's to treat his injuries, I'll give you a moment, and aurors will need to take your statement."

Thelma nodded, Dudley just looked at her.

"Mum," Dudley said swallowing thickily. She was gone. "She-"

"Dudley?" Thelma herself had been crying, and she very gently took his hand in her own.

Dudley nodded, still feeling like he was in a dream that got more exciting but made less sense. Then reality hit, and Dudley cried, loudly and desperately and he grabbed his fiancee and held her as close as he could.

"Are you Uncle Dudley?" Dudley jumped, he and Thelma were in St. Mungo's two days after Petunia had died. Harry was still unconscious.

"Family only!" A healer called, and the bushy haired woman holding the little boys hand stepped forward, she shot a look back at him.

"Dudley?" She asked. He nodded. "I'm Hermione Weasley, this is Teddy Lupin."

"Nice to meet you," Dudley gulped, he breifly recognised the names. Harry said she was his friend, her and Ralph, Rod, Ron, Ron Weasley, and Teddy was Harry's godson.

"I'm Uncle Dudley," Dudley said to the boy, as the boy's hair changed from black to green, shocking Dudley a little.

They followed the healer into a private room, where Harry was sound asleep.

"He'll be awake before the end of the week," The healer told Hermione, who nodded, Teddy climbed up on the bed and pulled out a book, cuddling to Harry's side and reading him the story.

"I've, I'm," Dudley took a deep breath. "I was trying to build bridges," Dudley said, "Harry," he paused again, "We're family, it took me so long to pull my head out of my ar- bottom."

Hermione just nodded, not taking her bright eyes off of Teddy.

"I still, I don't blame him, I blame mum and dad, and myself, not Harry," Dudley said, "But I won't push, if he want's to see me, anytime, he's always welcome." Dudley said to the woman's back. She finally turned.

"I cannot console you on the loss of your mother, Mr. Dursely," She said, rather formally, "I saw the damage his home life caused him, and this is just the beginning of it. I am sympathetic to your situation, and I applaud your ability to pull your head from your bottom, and I will pass on the message to Harry."

"Thank you, Hermione," Dudley said, Thelma gently grabbed his hand, and they left the room together, Thelma muttering something along the lines of 'prissy bitch' but Dudley ignored her.

Teddy's voice filled the hall as the door to the ward opened, he was just finishing his story.

"I love you all the way to the moon and _back!"_

* * *

It was not Harry's fondest memory, perhaps actually his worst. But he retold the tale to Gil, in the hope the boy might understand he, Harry, was a kindred spirit.

Gil picked out the crucial difference.

"I wasn't abused by my parents." Gil said, "I was probably just throwing some petulant tantrum and they died becasue of it." Gil took a deep breath, Harry could tell he was on the verge of tears.

"Gil," Harry too took a deep breath, ready to drop the bombshell. "thats not true." Gil looked up, he was crying, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. "I found the oficcial records of your parents death, and you weren't put in Mr. Bristow's Orphanage becasue of the accident, you showed signs of severe physical abuse." It was perhaps the most difficult thing Harry had ever had to say aloud.

Harry looked at the boy very carefully, shock, was evident in his features, and a lot of disbelief. He shook his head.

"It doesn't change anything," Harry said quickly, "You're still Gil Paige, you're the same in my eyes and everyone else's and it certainly wasn't your fault. But its the reason for your accidental magic reacting like it does - self defense."

Gil stared at Harry, utterly disbelieving.

"I can't remember-" He trailed off, Harry nodded.

"You were so young at the time, two, it said."

Gil nodded. "I was one or two, I got assigned a birthday by the Orphanage."

Harry let that drop for now. "Do you have any questions?" he prodded gently, "Anything that worries you, if not you can gor for today."

Gil shook his head.

"Its fine, I'm fine," He said standing up. "Thank you, Professor."

"Gil," Harry stopped the young man, "I'm proud of you, you're doing so well, and no matter what or when, if you need to talk to me, you come see me alright?"

Gil nodded with a slight smile and Harry let him leave. It was the best way to make him open up, talk for a little bit, then let him go away and come to terms with it in his own time. Today was a particularly difficult conversation, the first of many.

"Twixy," Harry called, and a female elf popped into existance before him. "Please keep an eye on Mr. Paige this week, any unusual or dangerous behaviour is to be reported, understood?" The elf bowed low to acknowledge the order and left the room with another crack.

Then there was a knock. Harry looked at his clock with a frown, it was curfew.

"Come in?" He called, and was surprised when Malfoy strode into the room.

"Inquiring about something else, Malfoy?" Harry bit at him, Malfoy shook his head.

"I need," He began, "I apo-" he tried and stopped, "You shouldn't have been shut away from Sadie like you were, Potter." Then Malfoy sighed. "I've been an idiot, Harry, and the truth is, the kids miss you, I miss you, and I miss Teddy."

Harry beamed at him, and it was almost back to normal. So Draco smiled back as Harry called an elf for a round of tea.


	29. QUIT

"Teddy?"

Sadie and Scorpius were sitting in the Slytherin common room, it was 24 minutes to four in the morning and it was cold and dark and the blank wall which was the entrance to their common room just opened and shut all by itself.

The cloak shimmered as Teddy pulled it off, he smiled at them and sat down, the invisibility cloak wrapped up in his lap.

"What's up guys?" Teddy asked, holding the short note they had sent him earlier that day.

"Dad and Harry are unhappy." Scorpius said, "They're trying to be friends but its _so_ forced." Scorpius said. "Surely you've noticed?"

Teddy shrugged, "I thought they were just trying to be civil, Malfoy sat in my Defence class the other day, it was fine."

"Not when they're working," Sadie said, "When they have free time, they meet up and sit and talk and shuffle and stutter. Its ridiculous and must be stopped."

"Why does it have to be stopped?" Teddy asked her. Scorpius answered.

"Its my fault, they used to be friends and I tried to get that back." He admitted.

"Maybe they wanted that back as well, Scorpius, I think they'll find that friendship again, it will just take time-"

"I was asleep seven years, thats alot of time to change, they're not the same people anymore and this false cheerfullnes is-"

"Vomit-inducing." Sadie supplied, Scorpius nodded.

"We were alright," Teddy said, "All three of us, even Sadie who would barely remember the relationship we had as children is alright."

"It's different, we're siblings. It's not like we're trying to be friends, sure we can talk like this, but if I came and sat with you and your friends every single day, you'd get sick of me."

"So maybe they're trying to force the wrong type of relationship?" Sadie suggested. Teddy thought about it.

"So they're like brothers too?"

Scorpius shook his head. "It can't be that." He said. "It has to be something more, maybe actual friends? They act more like siblings now, see each other once twice a week."

"So they should spend _more _time together? How will we make them do that then?" Teddy asked, incredulous.

"I don't know," Scorpius said, "Lock them in a room until they sort it out?"

Sadie snorted. "How juvenile, they'd kill each other. Maybe we need to talk to them, or send letters. Though dad's flowers didn't get a great reception did they?"

"Wait," Teddy stopped her, "What?"

"Father sent flowers to Harry, all the time," Sadie said, "Never wrote a tag. I haven't the foggiest what he was playing at. Maybe they're more than friends?" Sadie suggested, "Maybe they want to be together but don't realise it yet?"

"They barely like each other!" Teddy reminded her, "Look I think we should just leave it, they'll sort it out themselves."

Scorpius was shaking his head. "They won't, if dad thought sending Harry anonymous flowers all year was a good idea, he's obviously lost his mind."

Teddy snorted at that, and stood up off the couch to leave.

"We leave it, hey," he looked at his self imposed siblings sternly. "Leave it, they're adults and its their own decision to make." Teddy smiled at them, "I'm going to bed, and you two should too, goodnight," Teddy swung the cloak over his shoulders and headed for the door, followed by both Sadie and Scorpius wishing him a goodnight as well.

Teddy trudged up the many many stairs to the Gryffindor tower, but stopped when he was nearly there, he could hear footsteps and flattened himself against the wall.

"The hell are you playing at Malfoy?!" Teddy heard Harry shout, Draco shouted something back but it was muffled, the two men rounded the corner and stopped.

"You are such a dick!" Harry yelled.

"Pompous prat Potter and your band of merry orphans when Astoria died-"

Teddy winced at the smack that echoed through the corridor. Harry shook his fist and Draco yelled out and held his eye.

"Don't you dare accuse me of replacing Astoria -"

"You were always there after she died-"

"I was always there before she died!"

Draco paused.

"Malfoy, nothing changed when Astoria died, you were distant with Sadie and Scorpius and I was there to watch them."

Draco sneered.

"Think about it Malfoy," Harry said, "becasue whatever this is, its not going to work."

Harry took a deep breath, and walked towards Teddy. He unexpectedly reached out and pulled the invisibility colak off of Teddy's head.

"Detention," Harry snapped, "Tomorrow night after dinner with Filtch, Teddy, follow me."

Teddy glanced at Draco before following Harry away.

"Your feet were showing," Harry said without looking at him, "Now, what did you hear?"

"Just the stuff about Aunt Astoria." Teddy said.

"Good," Harry turned to face him, they were out the front of the Gryffindor common room now, "Then you'll understand when I say I'm resigning."

"What?" Teddy asked, paused in front of the irate and sleepy pink lady. "You love teaching!"

"I do," Harry said, "But I don't want to stay here anymore -"

"Malfoy will be gone by the end of the year-"

"Its not just Malfoy." Harry told him gently, "I can't keep working around Sadie, its not fair on her, she's got it hard enough as it is, she doesn't need my presence to make it worse. It's alright Ted, I'll go back to the Aurours, and I'll see you every holidays."

"Dad-"

"Go to bed, Teddy, goodnight."

The fat lady glared at him when he turned to face her and he gave the password before she could scold him for being out so late.

* * *

Harry flopped onto his lounge damning portraits everywhere. The hardest was yet to come, he knew Sadie and Scorpius would come to him too, demanding to know why he was resigning, already just about every student and teacher had already done so and it was no doubt becasue Bradbury the Brave on the fourth floor was more accurately Bradbury the blabber mouth.

He sighed and shut his eyes, only to groan when a painfully koud knock echoed through his rooms.

"WHAT?" Harry screamed at the door, stomping up the hall and yanking the bloddy thinks open.

"Hello to you too."

Harry stepped back and let Hermione in with a little bit of shock.

"What are you doing here?"

"Knocking some sense into you," Hermione said, inviting herself inside and sitting down. "Tea?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

A tray appeared on the coffe table, and Hermione mumbled something about not allowing the elves to sleep. "I've heard rumors you're running away from Malfoy?"

Harry shook his head.

"What they're not rumors or you're not running away?" Hermione asked.

"Both." Harry admitted, "but I'm running from Sadie, I, look, Malfoy doesn't want anything to do with me - he, he thinks I've been trying to replace Astoria-"

"Harry I don't understand, you he and Astoria got along great-"

"I wanted to replace Astoria!" Harry stood, fisting a hand in his hair. "I don't know why, I, but I have feelings for Malfoy, I have for the past eleven years and just before Astoria's accident I was thinking I could replace her - they weren't happily married, good friends but their marriage was crap- I wanted to steal Draco from her, she was my friend and I wanted-"

"Wanted but didn't," Hermione reminded him, "you've always struggled with the difference between desire and action, you never came between Astoria and Malfoy, you helped them keep their marriage together if memory serves, Harry, just because shes dead doesn't mean you and Malfoy should stop your lives as well, think about what Astoria would tell you to do, I know it would have been good advice, she was wonderful like that."

"It won't work, he was the one sending the flowers he-"

"He was being a git and a child. He knew they would annoy you."

"Course he did," Harry huffed.

"I think you're being ridiculous," Hermione said, "I think you're overreacting and you and Malfoy need to have a nice grown up conversation." She paused giving him a stern look."With no yelling."

"I'm done with this," Harry said, "I don't need another drama in my life, between Sadie, Teddy, Scorpius, Gil and Ezekiel-"

"Gill and Ezekiel aren't your responsibility, Harry." Hermione reminded him, but Harry shook his head.

"They are now, I'm helping Gil with his past and accidental magic - long story- and Ezekiel's parents were arrested for _that _whole incident so he has no one at home, he stayed the entire summer by himself, it was overlooked by the ministry because he's a werewolf. Long story short, he's staying with me in the holidays from now on."

"You're adopting him?" Hermione's asked. Harry shook his head again.

"More like foster care, really, his parents won't be out of prison for another two years, by then he'll be seventeen and won't need them."

Hermione looked uncertain.

"I still think you should stay here, you're giving Malfoy too much credit. He appears to be a well adjusted gentleman who is put together and successful, really, he's being a child and one of you will have to man up and go for it Gryffindor courage blazing."

"My Gryffindor courage has been siphoned away," Harry said with a tight smile.

"Then go and slither your way into his bed, I don't care for the details-"

"HERMIONE!"

"-but you two will have to figure out something because you'll drive each other mad with that weird obsession you have with each other until you end up near killing the other in some childishas stupid, meaningless fight-"

"Merlin I get it already!" Harry said in an attempt to shut her up.

"Good," she said promptly, then she pulled outa small stack of photographs, "now, I have photos of the kids."

Harry shuffled over on his lounge to look at the pictures of Hugo and Rose moving on the little cards With a warm smile, but his mind was racing.

Deep down he knew he and Draco would have ended up together, if Astoria had never died, but she had, so he stopped thinking about it all together.

* * *

Harry was stuffing his personal items from his office into his trunk. The Christmas holidays would be beginning tomorrow, and he was going home with Teddy and Zeke and not coming back. Sadie and Scorpius never came to see him, to ask why he was leaving and he was both happy and sad about that.

It was silly, they weren't his kids, he lost the daughter Ginny had. That's the end of it.

Minerva had come to see him almost every day this week to talk him out of it, Neville came to see him, Flitwick came to see him, Lauressa and Yvette and most of his colleagues came to see him. All but-

"You're really leaving then?"

"Malfoy," Harry greeted the man cooly. But did a double take. Malfoy was holding a small bunch of purple flowers.

"They're hiacinths," Malfoy said.

"They look like starfish."

"They mean sorry," he added dryly.

"Not interested," Harry spat back stubbornly. "You've fucked up any friendship we could have had." Harry snapped shut the lid of his trunk.

"I'm sorry," Malfoy said, "I was-"

"What?" Harry snapped. "You were stupid, selfish, arrogant, pig headed, I know, I was there."

"Harry-"

"No, Malfoy, I don't need to hear this, I don't want to hear this I'm tired of treading on eggshells around you and Sadie, I don't want to be near you, Malfoy and if that means I have to quit, so be it."

Harry levitated his trunk and his boxes of stuff and stormed from the room, slamming his old office door behind him with a satisfying bang.


	30. I Remember Being Happy

Sadie had her trunk packed neatly and was waiting at Hogsmede station with the other students going home for Christmas. She didn't feel like talking to Elwyn, who was reading his comic book anyway, and Pascal was trying to beat his best time again on his puzzle cube.

Sadie was content with having her thoughts to herself for now, though her thoughts were discontent.

Harry was leaving his job, and she needed to know why.

She had heard from students of course, and they all had asked Professor Potter why he was going, and they all got the sort of answer you would expect. He was ready for a change, he wanted to go back to the Auror office, he just needed some time away.

Sadie knew all thoes answers were lies. And she didn't want to go to his office and bug Professor Potter about why he didn't want to teach anymore, she wanted to ask her dad why he quit his job, but Sadie already knew the answer to that.

"Sadie, Sadie wake up we're here."

When Sadie opened her eyes, it was dark outside, and it was noisy and the train wasn't moving. Pascal had lifted her trunk down from the luggage rack and she thanked him for it, then she grabbed the handle and rubbed her sleepy eyes with the heel of her hand.

Dragging the trunk behind her as she said goodbye to her friends she looked for any tall blonde men in the crowd. She spotted her father first, and Scorpius not long after that so she dragged her trunk to her father and pushed the handle into his hand.

"Tired Sadie?" Draco asked, she nodded.

"Can we visit Harry tomorrow?" Sadie asked him, "I want to know why he quit teaching."

"He's just ready for a change -"

"I'd like to hear it from him, father are you in love with Harry?"

Draco looked at her oddly, and then shook his head.

"Don't be silly dear," he told her. She yawned as Scorpius reached them offering his father a stony expression before leading their way off of the platform.

The manor was dusty, but Draco took care of that with a few flicks of his wand. Sadie left her trunk in the foyer and, with energy she didn't know she had ran upstairs.

"I've missed home so much," Sadie smiled at her room, looking over her shoulder at her father as he stepped into the dusty room with his wand drawn. "Haven't you missed home?"

Draco nodded some what glumly and wished her goodnight, but Sadie was too giddy to worry that her father was troubled and flopped onto her bed. She smiled at the soft teddys there and pulled her favorite close to her - its name was Teddy, named for his being a teddy bear, not for her brother's sake.

Not like Teddy had called his stuffed dragon Draco, after her father.

Sadie had know it forever it seemed, it was one of thoes things you just know about family, Scorpius hated cars, he couldn't pronounce the word piano until recently and he loved listening to her talk about her and their father while he was asleep.

Well Teddy named his toy dragon after Draco, he made himself look like Harry when he was upset and he was afraid of werewolves. It was things you just knew about your siblings, and it bothered her. It bothered her as she brushed her teeth and as she climbed into bed and it was still bothering her when she was lying in bed awake at twenty past four in the morning.

Sadie sat up and snuck from her room, she was careful to be very quiet as she passed Scrorpius' room (he was a very light sleeper and often stayed up until insane hours of the morning) and she darted into the foyer and then into the circular room to the side with the large fireplace and seat and picture of her grandfather Abraxas Malfoy.

Sadie stuck her hand into the floo powder and grabbed a generous handful, then threw it into the fire, a calling "12 Grimmauld Place."

When she stepped into the basement she didn't expect the caterwauling charm and it floored her with its intense shriek, lights went on immediately and then the sound stopped.

"Sadie what the devil are you doing here? It's nearly five in the morning?"

"Why is our family so broken?"

She didn't mean to say it like she was accusing him of anything, she didn't even mean to say it, but she did, screamed it at him in fact. Teddy and Ezekiel were standing in a doorway off to the side looking at her tiredly.

Harry just looked sad.

"I'm sorry," he said, but she couldn't think of why he would be so she didn't reply.

"You have to get home-"

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Teddy will you call Mr. Malfoy?" Harry asked his son, his real son, not some freakish half child that had to sneak around to see him and was now crying in his kitchen.

"Come here, Sadie," Harry said and pulled her into a hug.

"Your hugs remind me of mum," Sadie told him, and he let her go.

"Your family isn't broken." Harry told her. "Neither is mine," he added, "you have a mother and father and brother, but you lost your mother, it means your family is smaller, and hurting, but not broken. I have my two sons, and they'll re all I'll ever need, no wife, just my boys. Sadie, it was a mistake, me trying to be apart of your life, and it isn't your fault at all, you're a wonderful little girl and I would be thrilled -anyone would be thrilled to be your father, your father is a lucky man, and he is your father-"

As he said that, her father stepped through the floo with Scorpius on his heels. Harry glanced at them and continued.

"My point is, your father and I don't get along, and there's no point tug of wararing you and Scorpius between us when you don't need me, you certainly don't need the stress of it."

"You can't chose your family," Her father said quietly. Harry looked at him.

"Well I'm going to," Sadie said, ignoring the adults. "Because Teddy is my brother, and Harry's my father, Astoria is my mother and Draco is my father, and I don't care what the law says or what blood says, that's how mum wanted it before she died and that's how I want it now." Sadie looked between Her fathers. "Whatever decisions you decided to make about me before I was born were the right ones because I remember back then, I was only little but I remember mum and dad and father and Scorp and Teddy. I remember being happy!"

* * *

**_2003_**

* * *

Harry had the five year old Teddy held firmly in his arms, Draco the dragon was crushed between them and Teddy's green hair was buried in his chest.

"Alright Ted, keep your eyes shut, okay?"

The little boy nodded and Harry threw the floo powder into the grate, the flames went green and he stepped through shouting Malfoy manor.

He tripped, but didn't fall, though that was mostly because Astoria caught him. She smiled at him brilliantly.

"You're early," she commented, Harry placed Teddy on the carpet and he dragged his toy over to the three year old Scorpius who was playing with blocks.

"I'm always early," he reminded her. She smiled at him.

"Could you?" She asked, he waved her away and she darted up the stairs to finish getting ready for work. Harry was content to watch Teddy and Scorpius play, Teddy was setting up elaborate castles and Scorpius was throwing the toy dragon into the buildings making 'rawr' noises.

"Mr. Potter!" Scorpius squealed when he finally realised Harry was there, and he ran to give him a hug.

"Uncle Harry, Scorpius." Harry corrected, but Scorpius insisted on calling him Mr. Potter.

The floo flared up again and Draco stepped through, he smiled when he saw Harry.

"You didn't have to come tonight," Draco said, but his warm smile was indication enough Harry was welcome regardless. Scorpius jumped up to greet his father.

"Astoria was running late," Harry explained, and she wasn't sure when you'd be home."

"You staying tonight?" Draco asked, Harry nodded, moving over on the lounge so Draco could sit down.

"If its alright with you, I have tomorrow off and wanted to spend it here."

"Really? Me too," Draco said.

"I'm off then," Astoria paused beliefly to kiss Draco on the forehead before she shouted out goodbyes and ran into the floo.

Draco shook his head at her. "Always running late that woman."

"How are things?" Harry asked, the blonde man shrugged.

"Come into the kitchen, I'm starving."

Harry and Draco stood taking their boys with them.

"I'll meet you there, I want to check on Sadie," Harry said ducking up the stairs and into the nursery, she was sleeping peacfully, her thick black hair spread out over her little pillow and her hand knotted in her blanket. He pulled the blanket down over her exposed feet and left, walking into the kitchen and taking a seat at the island while Draco pulled out things for dinner.

"It's the problem with arranged marriages I guess," Draco said, "I love her, but she's like my best friend, I can't imagine a life without her, but no bedroom things."

Harry shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you," Harry said, "it's been almost a whole year for me."

"Same here," Draco said with a blush, and Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "Quiet you, you've had the opportunity."

"I've had the opportunity, _you're_ married."

"No sexual attraction between us, Astoria said exactly the same thing. I believe she put it 'when you try to be sexy, you remind me of my dad'." Draco said dryly.

"Ouch." Harry sympathized, "well I've had two dates, both accidental and one was a man."

Draco laughed at him. "You liked that one, rememberer."

"I did," Harry said, "though that's not exactly a secret. Could that be your problem, Draco?"

"What, I'm gay?" Draco asked. He shook his head, blushing. "Its just Astoria."

"What about pansy, anything happen there?"

"Just snogging. Look, doesn't really matter, we'll sort it out, even if we leave it open ended- Astoria actually suggested that last time we talked about it. I'd rather not but I want her to be happy."

"Arranged marriages are so old fashioned," Harry said shaking his head. Looking over to the boys, who were running around the dining room. "Thank Merlin for cushioning charms."

Draco nodded Enthusiastically.

"It was my father's final wish." Draco said, and I like to think he wanted my best interests at heart."

Harry looked away. The topic of Lucius and his dementor's kiss an uncomfortable topic.

"We'll the sooner you sort your stuff out the happier you'll be."

"I need time," Draco said and leant against the island next to Harry, who looked up at him. The pot on the stove was simmering.

"I wish I could've figured it out for myself," Draco admitted, "I never thought I would have an arranged marriage to be honest, and mother advised against it, I've no doubt I would be friends with Astoria but I don't think I'd have married her, had I a choice."

Harry shrugged. "You and Astoria have a very unique relationship now, though," he reminded him, Harry was staring at Draco's eyes and they were awfully close, so he dropped his gaze. But then he was looking at Draco's lips. Draco blushed and Harry stood up and stepped back. "And you have Sadie and Scorpius," Harry gulped, "so it's not all bad, "I'm going to check Sadie again."

Harry ran as soon as he was out of sight. There was no use kidding himself, he had a bit of a thing for Draco but Astoria was one of his closest friends now and he couldn't come between them like that. Like he had with his feelings for Ginny during the war, Harry stuffed them deep in himself as he got into the nursery and found his dark haired daughter awake. He was here to be apart of Sadie's life, nothing more, and he had made good friends of Draco and Astoria as well, and nothing was worth sacrificing that happiness.

* * *

Muggle cars are awfully efficient, Draco thought as the countryside went whizzing by, he wouldn't expect them to go so fast, what with being muggle and all , but Merlin they went. Astoria looked a little ill, though the motion sickness always bothered her, and Sadie was in her carseat asleep. Scorpius was telling Draco about the story Mr. Potter told him today, about saving Hermione from a troll in first year.

"I can't wait to go to Hogwarts," Scorpius was saying, "it will be so great."

Draco had spent all day with Harry and the kids. And there was something funny about Harry today. He was distant, perhaps more reserved. Like he was hiding something all of sudden, and Draco couldn't fathom what it could be. Draco was hiding something, he had walked in on Potter showering this morning, by accident of course and seeing him naked and wet and naked and Merlin. It was hot. Of course after that his daydreams all day entertained the idea of Astoria asking for an open marriage once more and Draco having his fairytale happily ever after with Potter and their little family. Of course if Potter was acting weird because he knew Draco had seen him this morning, that particular daydream would never come true.

"Slow down, please," Astoria said, snapping Draco's attention back to the current situation, the driver waved her off.

"'s fine, darl." He said, Draco frowned.

"She asked you to slow down," he said firmly, the man looked over his shoulder, and Astoria screamed.

Draco panicked, and there was a blinding flash, the seatbelt felt like it would tear him in half and there was a cry from next to him.

The engine was still running, but the car was all wrong. Draco couldn't hear anything, he couldn't make sense of what he was seeing.

So he swore.

"What the fuck?"

Draco looked around, remembering his children first and he picked up Sadie. She was crying, screaming in fact and was obviously hurt.

"Astoria," Draco said, his wife was a healer, she could help, "Astoria, Astoria."

"Draco, what happened?" Draco turned, the screaming child was taken from his arms and Harry was there, Draco shook his head.

"I don't know, I don't know, Harry what happened?"

"Shit Draco," Harry pulled Draco to him, and Draco leant against his wide chest, his arm was around Harry's shoulder and Harry was holding him up.

Draco cried out when reality hit, and his thoughts went to Astoria and Scorpius, he tried to tell Harry this but couldn't manage anything past broken sobs and cries of pain.

He was pushed onto a floating stretcher and told to lie still, the same was done for Sadie, who was still crying.

And then Harry was gone.

* * *

_A/N Hope you guys like cliff hangers lol, this is the third one in two chapters. _


	31. The Accident

Harry ran to the car and moved it without thinking. The metal shell was twisted around a tree, the passenger side forming a c. He unfolded the car, looking in the windows.

Astoria was bleeding, badly, the driver was dead, but Scorpius looked like he was asleep. Harry pulled the door off of the car and pushed the roof back, he undid the seatbelt of the boy and pulled out his wand.

A wave of his wand performed a bone X-ray, and Harry checked Scorpius skull and spine for fractures, there was a fracture in the boy's skull, and a few compound breaks in his limbs, but he was breathing and wasn't losing a lot of blood, so Harry lifted him from the wreck.

Harry conjured a third stretcher, laying Scorpius down and he cast a spell to stop the swelling from the head injury, he then went to Astoria.

"My kids," she whispered, trying to wave him away.

"They are alive, Stori," Harry said, "Draco too."

"Oh good," Astoria muttered. "You're my best friend, Harry, look after them," she whispered, he bent down and lifted her from the car, laying her down on another white stretcher and trying to do what he could. The right side of her body had been crushed, torn and broken. She wasn't moving, just speaking, whispering.

"Look after all of them," she said, "I love them, you and Teddy too, all my family."

"You'll be okay, Stori, you'll be fine, Aurours and medi wizards will come any minute."

"Promise me Harry," she said, her right arm came up just a fraction, he grabbed her hand. It was cold and slippery with blood, but he held it tight. He nodded.

"I promise."

"Good."

She said it slowly, almost like she was drunk, but her eyes stayed open after that, her skin seemed to lose even more colour.

Harry conjured a blanket and closed her eyes, then pulled the blanket over her head. mediwizards arrived then, and he waved them towards the survivors, who were all whisked away to St. Mungo's, leaving him and the three other Aurours to do clean up.

He went straight to Mungo's as soon as he could. Scorpius and Sadie were two beds down, both stable, both asleep. Draco was much worse off, he had a lot of internal damage and more than a couple broken bones. He was awake though, sitting in the hospital bed with Harry; clinging to Harry with a force only grief can muster. He was crying. About the accident, about Astoria about everything between getting in that car an now. Harry was crying with him, holding him just as tightly (but very gently) completely unable to offer his friend any condolences. And things only got worse.

A healer coughed, and got their attention.

"Both of the children are alive, Sadie will make a full recovery-"

"and Scorpius?" Draco pleaded.

"He's in a coma, we can't wake him, Mr. Malfoy I'm sorry to say, but its unlikely he will ever wake."

Harry went numb. He looked over at Scorpius laying in bed, utterly still, the shallow movement of his chest the only indication he was alive.

He was _alive_.

Harry took a deep breath.

"But he's alive," Harry said, "he still might-"

"Be quiet potter."

Harry looked at Draco, who pushed him away.

"He could-"

"Why do you care, I lost my wife and son today, what are you doing her? What are you _doing_ here? Get out, OUT, GET OUT!"

Harry scrambled away from him and ran from the room.

* * *

It was times like this Harry was glad for his fame, though the healer may not have just let him in because he was the chosen one. Apparently draco hadn't been to visit since the accident. It had been a week. Harry had been in twice, and this time he brought Teddy with him.

"Got your book, cub?" Harry asked, Teddy nodded beside him, Sam McBranthy's Guess How Much I Love You tucked firmly under his arm.

"You'll read it won't you dad?" Teddy asked him, Harry nodded, pushing open the ward door.

Scorpius was in a private room, it was only small and it was at the very end of the ward.

The little boy was tucked firmly into bed, his hands by his side, a tube of oxygen placed in his nose and around his ears.

"Oh," Teddy dropped his book. "He's going to be alright isn't he? He will wake up soon, won't he dad?"

Harry nodded, offering his godson a shaky smile, "that's what we're all hoping for."

"Can we help him?" Teddy asked next, "Aunt Hermione could-"

"He's still hurt from the accident," Harry said carefully, "and once he's better from that the healers will start helping him wake up, but we might just have to wait too."

Teddy picked up the book again.

"I don't want to read to him anymore," Teddy said, "stories are for bedtime, I want him to wake up. We should make breakfast. Can I get a rooster?"

Harry had to bite back tears at the look of absolute desperation in his godsons eyes.

"Maybe we have to make the story really exciting," Harry said, "that way he won't be sleepy when it's finished."

Teddy nodded, and hid his book. "That's the sleepiest story ever." He said, "tell him one of your stories dad, please, and you have to make it really exciting."

Harry sat in the guest chair and pulled teddy onto his lap.

"Alright," Harry began, "once a upon a time, there was a dark wizard, and he went as bad as you can go. So bad, he broke his soul, and so he could keep it, he poured it in a cup, and locked it away in his bank vault, he put it in a book, and made it into a ring, he took a picture and kept it in a locket, and the last part was eaten by his pet snake-"

* * *

"Narcissa?" Harry had stepped through the floo with Teddy into Malfoy Manor to find Narcissa Malfoy sitting on the lounge with a screaming Sadie in her arms.

"Oh, thank heavens," Narcissa said, handing the baby over, Harry took her and rocked her gently, shushing the little girl until she fell asleep.

"How are you Harry?" Narcissa asked, she was deathly thin and horribly pale, her hair was thin and dull and her eyes bloodshot. Harry ducked into the nursery and set Sadie down, then went back to Narcissa, who had lowered herself back on the lounge and was breathing shallow breaths.

"Much better than you, let me help you," Harry pulled her up, and the old woman leaned heavily on him as he led her to her room.

"I'm afraid I've come down with a nasty cold." She said, "I'm sorry Harry, I shouldn't have called you-"

"Don't be silly, where's Draco."

"Work."

"He left you like this, with Sadie?" Harry asked, he helped her into bed and lit a fire in the grate.

Narcissa nodded. "He's a bit lost I'm afraid," she said sadly, "I guess we all are."

Harry agreed, excusing himself to the kitchen, where he started on a massive pot of soup for the sick woman.

Teddy sat in the kitchen, playing with his little toys while Harry cooked, and soon the soup was done so he took a generous bowl of it to Narcissa.

"Thank you dear boy," she said, he helped her sit up.

"You should go to see a healer." Harry said, Narcissa sighed.

"I have been," she stopped eating As he gave her a concerned look.

"What is it?"

"I have cancer," she deadpanned. "Leukemia, I found out about a month ago, I'm so ill now becaue of the first set of irradiated potions I have to take, nasty things they are."

Harry was speechless.

"Narcissa," he paused, "you haven't told anyone but me have you?"

She shook her head. "I told Astoria," she admitted, "but now, I didn't, I don't really have anyone else to go to, Harry." Harry took her hand. "You mustn't tell Draco, he, he's, he's taken it very badly, Scorpius more so than Astoria, will you speak to him, get him to open up, make him visit for Christ sake?"

Harry gulped nervously and nodded, "of course." He said, "Scorpius is just asleep. He suffered bad internal damage but it was fixed pretty quick, he's just asleep, they can't wake him."

Narcissa nodded. "I've been to visit, I went before the first potion was due."

"I'm going to talk to some people at the ministry, see if I can get someone in to help out around here, until you're better, even if it's just a house elf."

"I'd prefer a house elf," Narcissa admitted, "so much more friendly."

Harry gave her hand a squeeze.

"I'd fancy a nap," she said, "if you don't mind?"

"Of course not, call if you need anything."

"Come here," she pulled him down and kissed his cheek gently. He took the tray of soup away and let her sleep.

* * *

"Potter, what are you doing here? You're always fucking here!"

Harry frowned at him, it was one in the morning and he was just coming home from work.

"I came to see you, and found your mother sick as a dog struggling to take care of Sadie. A week ago."

Draco frowned.

"Sod off, Potter, it's not your business."

"She's my daughter," Harry snapped, "and you're my friend." He finished as Draco shouted;

"She is my and Astoria's daughter!"

"I'm worried about you." Harry said.

"I lost my wife and son," Draco snapped, "sorry for being a bit out of sorts."

"You're neglecting your family." Harry pointed out. "You smell like firewhisky."

"Funny that," Draco snapped again.

"Draco please," Harry said, "I want to help."

"Fucking Harry 'wants to help' Potter. Bring them back, that will help."

Harry sucked in a cold breath.

"I would if I could, you know that."

Draco looked at him in a way that let Harry know full well they weren't just talking about Astoria and Sadie anymore. Draco's left hand twitched, and Harry's eyes went to where he knew the _sectumsempra_ scars ran across Draco's chest.

"I'm tired," Draco said, "I'm tired of you." He turned to go to his room.

"Draco," Harry said, "you need me, now more than ever."

"I've never needed you, Potter."

"Back to Potter is it? I thought we were friends, Malfoy."

* * *

"This has been going on for three years, mum, you never said.-"

Narcissa shook her head, this morning she had been too weak to perform the glamour to make her hair come back. She had been to weak to do much of anything really.

"You knew something was wrong Draco, you never asked because you didn't want to know."

"You needed help-"

"Harry's been helping me, and Teddy too, he's such a lovely boy."

"Potter-"

"Harry, dear, he's not a friend you want to lose."

Draco shook his head and stood, away from his ill mother, unbelieving.

"I don't have alot of time, Draco, I'm not getting any better."

"You've gotten through it before, you must have, you-"

"Twice before, but I am older and weaker every single round. I've had a long life, a happy life, sort of."

"Mother I need you-"

Then you should have come to me from the start, Draco, I want nothing more than for you to be happy. Your father's final wish before he got the kiss was to ensure the continuation of the Malfoy line, he's a petty man, and a selfish man, I was always upset, that you were so like him, none of our fierce Black spirit. You have that Draco, its buried under Malfoy refinery but you're not your father and I never want you to pretend to be. My final wish is that you be happy, and you do it however you can, but I'll give you a clue; Harry Potter is a big part of that happiness, don't push him away anymore, there's only so much he will take."

Narcissa shooed him away and when he left her bedroom the healers came in to move her to St. Mungo's.

A week later, Narcissa Malfoy died in her sleep.

* * *

Harry looked between a gobsmacked Malfoy and his stubborn daughter. Sadie was frowning furiously at both of them, but her bottom lip quivered and as quick as her rage had come it was gone and she was crying. Hiccups wracked he frame and she ran to the stairs and bolted up them. Both Harry and Draco mad to go after her, but a scrawny fifteen year old stopped them.

You two stay down here and sort your shit out!" Teddy demanded, Harry, so shocked he forgot to scold him for his foul language. "Scorpius and I will talk to her," Teddy told them, glancing at Scorpius over by the fireplace and he darted forwards, then Scorpius, Ezekiel and Teddy went upstairs together.

Harry ignored Draco in favour of flopping into a kitchen chair with his head in his hands.

"Do you wish that nothing had changed?" Draco said quietly, Harry laughed.

"Course I do," he told the kitchen floor. "Everyday I wish she hadn't died, that Scorp didn't miss so much."

"I blamed you," Draco said.

"I know," Harry told him, he stood and stretched, going to the pantry and pulling out his little stash of 'something stronger' for times like this. "But I'm used to being blamed for things," he added as he poured two drinks, he passed one to Draco, "cheers."

"I shouldn't have," Draco told him, "I shouldn't have."

Harry didn't respond, just downed his shot of firewhisky and set the glass in the sink.

"Nothing we can do about the past," Harry said, "after Christmas, I doubt we'll see each other again."

"I don't want that," Draco said quickly, throwing caution to the wind. "You and Astoria were the very best friends I ever had," Draco said, "I lost Astoria, and I pushed you away when I shouldn't have." Draco reached out for Harry's hand, and grabbed it, Harry stepped closer to him, and Draco looked up into familiar green eyes.

"I've loved you Potter," Draco said boldly, "all this time."

Harry leaned forward and swept Draco up in a desperate, passionate kiss. All Draco could do was pull Harry closer and just be happy.


	32. 2 Years Later

**Epilogue, 1st September 2016;  
**_2 years later_

* * *

The Hogwarts express was puffing steam onto the platform, it hung like a cloud and was stirred up by the frantic, rushing students.

Harry Potter stood with his four children, Sadie ready to begin her third year was excitedly holding her new cat in a death grip, Scorpius was wearing his prefect badge proudly and Teddy was looking over the heads of the students for his girlfriend Victoire.

Ezekiel was looking for Gil in the crowd, and he spotted him as Draco returned with Sadie's forgotten cat case, which he then tried to stuff the evil black and white cat into.

"You'll hurt him Father!" Sadie said as Draco managed to get swiped in the face buy the cat's claws.

"I think that cat will hold its own," Ezekiel joked, being joined by Gil and Minerva. Teddy gave up on his search for Victoire and joined his friends, Gil showing them the head boy badge he had been granted with pride. Pride which was quickly shot down by his friends, all in good fun, of course, and Minerva watched her charge proudly. She came to Harry's side with a warm smile.

"You've helped him so much," she said, "he's gotten so much better since he started talking to you about his past, Harry."

"I'm glad," Harry said, smiling as Scorpius stopped Sadie from letting her evil cat out of it's box.

The train whistle blew, and Draco helped Sadie with her trunk as the boy's shuffled towards the train.

"Your first year as deputy headmaster," Minerva said, "you may owl, when you need to, of course."

"Thanks," Harry said, "but I'm guessing you'll be hearing more from Neville than me, he's so nervous about being headmaster."

"He made a good deputy, he won't have any trouble." Minerva said. The train's whistle blew again and Harry looked in each window for his kids, Sadie was hanging out her window with Pascal and Elwyn, Scorpius was standing in a doorway to wave goodbye and Teddy was with Victoire, Gil and Ezekiel.

Both Harry and Minerva waved as the train began to move, Draco joined him at his side, and once it was out of sight, they headed back to the manor to pack up for their move back to the castle.

* * *

Harry was packing up his old defense Professor's office. As head of Slytherin house he had to stay in Slytheirin's quarters, and Snape's old office was down there, which he had used for his head of house stuff, but with starting the deputy job this year, he wanted to be in one place, so an old potions classroom was being cleared for use as the Defence room and he moved all his things to his Slytherin office. It was dark, a single, thin window was high up near the roof on the back wall showing the green water of the lake. The room itself was long and thin, his desk was huge, black and wooden, with a large wing backed chair behind it and smaller chairs in front. Bookshelves were against one wall, a fire place opposite them, and a set of small armchairs were near the door, with a little coffee table.

A wave of his wand lit the candles and fireplace. Harry then directed his levitating boxes to his desk and sat in his chair, unpacking his Defence notes and putting them in a drawer. Neville had left the papers for the deputy in his old office and Harry started packing them into the desk as well.

Harry looked up as someone knocked on the open door, he smiled as Neville came in.

"Headmaster," Harry said with a smirk, Neville glared at him.

You got the notes and stuff I left for you?" He asked, Harry nodded.

"I was just about to send the order for this months potion supplies and look at the requested textbooks for the library, the new Herbology teacher has updated them all. Lauressa insisted on a particular one as well for her N.E.W.T. students.

Neville nodded, "I've been practicing my speech for the welcoming feast, can you read it, tell me if I've missed anything?"

Neville held out his parchmet, Harry took it and read it over.

"You need to introduce Professor Herbology, I've forgotten her name, and remind Sadie that the forbidden forest is forbidden." Neville took the parchment back with a smile.

"She was in there three times last year." Neville remembered.

"No, she was _caught_ three times," Harry said shaking his head. "Anyway, you ready for this year?"

Neville nodded, "should be interesting, new headmaster, new deputy."

"I'm sure Minerva won't make herself scarce." Harry assured him.

"Alright, thanks Harry, I'll see you at the feast."

Harry was early to the great hall, he said hello to lLauressa who was already sitting down, and waved at Neville as he went to wait by the doors. The lists of names was in his hand and the sorting hat was already at the front of the hall, he stepped back as Mr. Thorburn stepped thorough the doors.

"Hagrid's on his way," he said, Harry thanked him and stepped into the entrance hall as the first carriages stopped outside the castle.

"Hello Professor Potter!"

Harry waved and said hello to students as they entered the great hall, cats ran under feet and owls flew into the castle, there were bangs and sparks and he had to blast a fringed frisbee from the air.

Chattering students filed into the hall, all with huge smiles on their faces and they made Harry smile as well. He waved to Teddy and Victoire when he saw them, and Scorpius came up to him and said hello again, as did Ezekiel and Gil. He didn't see Sadie until he went into the Great Hall and shut the doors behind all of the students.

After the sorting, Harry went to the staff table and Neville stood, the tall man looked as imposing as Dumbeldore or McGonagall ever had, and he grinned at the students, and welcomed them. Harry could see the piece of paper on his desk, but he didn't look at it, and when the hall filled with food he sat down with a victorious fist pump. Harry laughed at him from the deputy seat and began his own dinner.

"Where's Draco?" Neville asked, Hannah and Alice were living in the castle this year as well and Hannah was sitting next to Neville on the other side with Alice on her lap. Harry shrugged.

"Probably eating in our rooms," Harry said, "said something about not making an appearance at the welcoming feast because he's not staff this year."

Neville nodded and began telling Harry about the new plants in greenhouse three this year. Hannah was laughing at Harry behind Neville's back and Harry stuck his tongue out at her.

"Behaving like the adult you are."

Harry jumped at Draco's voice and the blonde man sat next to him, Harry poked his tongue out at his partner and Draco rolled his eyes, helping himself to the food on Harry's plate.

"I just got an owl from the ministry, they want me in all day tomorrow." He offed Harry a ridiculous pout.

"Aw," Harry said, "poor Draco."

"quiet you," Draco smile and kissed Harry gently on the cheek.

* * *

Draco left before dessert, and Neville dismissed the students shortly after the plates were clean and shiny again. Harry took the door through the trophy room and took a shortcut through the potions storerooms. Draco was reading on the lounge but he smiled at Harry when he came in and put his book down.

"Neville did alright," Harry said, "in his first official event as headmaster."

"And you sorted those children like a seasoned pro."

Harry chuckled, flopping onto the lounge besides Draco and holding his hand. Draco kissed the back of Harry's hand.

"How did I end up with you, scar head?" Draco asked affectionately. Harry bumped his shoulder.

"it was a long, sad story." Harry said somberly, Draco nodded.

"With a happy ending?" He asked, sounding a bit uncertain.

"Very happy," Harry told him, and he kissed him. "I love you," Harry whispered, Draco nodded.

"That's nice."

Harry rolled his eyes and gently punched Draco in the shoulder.

"Prat."

"I love you too, scarhead."

Harry was going to bite back some scathing reply, but Draco kissed him again, and he forgot he was pretending to be mad.


End file.
